Soulmates
by Lucigoosey The Lightbringer
Summary: "It's like a best friend, but more. It's the one person in the world who knows you better than anyone else. Someone who makes you a better person. Actually, they don't make you a better person - you do that yourself. Because they inspire you. It's the first person who knew you, and accepted you, and believed in you before anyone else did... Or when no one else would."
1. Chapter 1

"LET US OUT! _LET US OUT-!"_

"Michael, stop it. Stop it." Adam wheezed, doubling over and wrapping his arms around himself. His lungs ached, burned, from the screaming that the archangel was doing; He had most of the control over the body they shared, but the demon was doing his best to reign him back in again. Without Lucifer there, they were both slowly losing it. Michael was the first to slip, growing more desperate in his attempts to reach his Father up in Heaven, begging to his siblings, just about anything he can do to reach someone. Adam, on the other hand, was only slipping because of his fury. The overwhelming, burning fury that he couldn't shake.

Michael quieted, with a violent shudder, and finally retracted the control he had built up. Adam lingered for a moment, on the edge of taking back control or retreating, himself; But after a good few seconds, he ended up simply letting himself crumple to his knees, hands pressed to the bottom of the cage as he coughed and gasped, his throat burning. He wished he knew what day it was, what _year _it was, but the demon had absolutely no idea…

He groaned, arching his back and shoving himself backwards, sinking against the bars of the cage. A shuddering sigh broke through his lips, but at that point, Adam couldn't tell who had exhaled. It was like that, now. A cough, a gasp, a word, a flick of the wrist. One of them would move, or both of them would, at the same time. So perfectly in sync, almost as if they were the same person now, with how long they had spent together, like this, in the same body. They stopped trying to figure out who did what anymore. Who moved the arms, who moved the legs. Who spoke. Maybe it stopped mattering. Or maybe they were just too tired to keep track.

The chicken and the egg. Which came first. One of them would do something small, the other would follow suit. One of them would twitch, the other would move completely. Then they were both left wondering who had started what, who had moved first, unable to register or remember the cause of the movement, to realize anything until it had already happened. And by then it was always far too late.

Adam closed his eyes, finally pulling back. Michael didn't take his place as usual, though - so the demon went a little deeper into his own mind, wary as he walked along through the thoughts, the memories. He knew where he was going, he knew where Michael was. His safe place - their safe place. Adam's safe place.

It didn't seem like Michael really had one. But he used Adam's, and that was fine. They were almost the same, anyway. Almost, but not quite.

Sure enough, he found him there in the relatively empty park. The swings moved gently, as if a breeze was pushing them. Leaves of the trees nearby rustled. The entire place was devoid of any kind of life. No children playing on the slides. No adults standing on the sidelines. Not even a squirrel in the branches hanging over the bench, or a bird flying overhead. No noises except for the ruffling of leaves, the wind blowing, the creaking of the swings as they went back and forth. It was eerie, but Adam didn't care. He'd grown too used to it. And it was better than the cold, damp, empty, darkness of the cage.

He found Michael lying on his back beside the monkey bars, mulch tangled into his hair and his arms over his face, his entire body shaking. The demon could feel the pain radiating off of him as if it were his own, which made him recoil. He hadn't felt his own pain in so long.

No, for him, it was mostly rage. Fury. Abandonment. Hatred. These days, it seemed all he could ever think about was Sam and Dean - mostly Sam. Out of both of them, Sam was the one who had preached family more than anything. He was the one who had begged Adam to stay, because they were brothers, because blood was thicker than anything, because they were family and they needed him to trust them and they wanted him around. Sam was the one with the doe-eyed, puppy-dog look, the one who told him family stuck together, didn't leave each other behind. Sam was the one with them in the cage, telling him they were going to get out.

They. What a fucking _joke _that was.

"Stop it," Michael breathed, echoing Adam's own words back at him. He let out a huff, and a soft, choked sound that could have been a laugh, but also a sob. Adam chose to think it was neither, because the situation wasn't quite humorous, but the thought of the archangel crying made him feel awkward. "Stop…" Michael's arms moved down, over his chest, and he hugged himself tightly as he sat up and curled inwards. "Just… your anger… it hurts."

"Well, your pathetic-ness hurts," Adam snapped back, turning and walking away from him. He settled himself down on one of the swings, and Michael just stared back at him with a dull gaze. Truth be told, he's gotten kind of used to that. The silent stares, the archangel looking more tired than anything, devoid of any kind of emotion, or purpose. Like everything had just been completely drained from him. The demon heaved out a sigh and looked away, mouth twisting slightly at the uncomfortable pressure against the inside of his chest. It didn't start up often, but when it did, Adam just couldn't handle it. He'd gotten too used to the anger to be able to register anything else. Any other emotion made him shy away.

"I can't do this…" Michael whispered, bringing his arm back up over his eyes. Adam shook his head a little and looked down, lightly pushing himself up on the swing. He let himself go, the swing moving forward and then falling back again. He shivered a bit at the feeling of the wind in his hair, leaning his head to the side against the chain as he pushed himself back a little further. "I can't be- I can't be _stuck _here forever- I- He wouldn't do this, r- right?"

"Who, God?" Adam mumbled dryly, watching the ground get further and further from his feet as he swang backwards, then rocketed forward again. "I hate to tell you, shortcake, but He doesn't give a damn. If He did, He'd have done something by now. But we're still here - _you're _still here, and nobody's doing a damn thing about it." He closed his eyes for a moment. "I hate to tell you, sorta, not really, but- nobody's coming back for you. He most certainly isn't."

Michael was silent for a second, but Adam could still feel the hurt radiating from him. He could feel the soft exhale as the archangel relaxed into the ground again. Well, to put it lightly. More or less, he seemed to give up, the rest of whatever energy and tension he had left seeming to drain from him as he collapsed into the ground. "What about Lucifer?"

Adam stopped the swing rather harshly.

Now, _that _was someone that, admittedly, Adam hadn't thought of in a while. It was easier than expected, to ignore all thoughts of Lucifer, and turn his rage completely onto Sam and Dean. But even regardless of that, he hated that he wasn't as angry with Lucifer as he was with his so-called brothers. Maybe it was because that Lucifer had always been honest with him, anyway. Sure, he acted alright to Adam. After the first few years of torturing and all. But afterwards, when Adam began changing into a demon, Lucifer had seemed satisfied. Nice, even. But he never preached the same things Sam did. He never told Adam he would come back if he had the chance. He never told Adam he'd take them with him if he could.

He didn't _lie_. And that, among other things, was one of the reasons Adam liked him a little more than the Winchesters. And why he didn't feel like his entire world had come crashing and crumbling to pieces upon realizing that everything he'd ever been told was a lie. Lucifer was, at least, honest about the fact that he didn't _care_. If Sam just hadn't faked it with him, hadn't used him, then maybe Adam wouldn't be as pissed at him either.

The demon struggled with his conflicted feelings for a moment, gritting his teeth as he stared down at the ground. Michael groaned a little at the mixture of rage and confusion bubbling from him, but he didn't say anything, simply allowed Adam to process whatever he was feeling before he spoke. "You know Luce isn't coming back anytime soon, Michael. Not of his own free will."

Michael shook his head a little, not saying anything else. Adam closed his eyes and leaned his head back, giving a low sigh. There was nothing else to say, and quite frankly when it came to these two, words weren't really needed. They knew how the other was feeling, what the other was thinking. Michael could feel the betrayal and anger radiating from Adam and, Adam could feel the pain and grief radiating from Michael. They didn't need to sit and talk about how they felt. They didn't need any chick-flick moments. They didn't even need each other.

… For a moment, Adam wondered if that was true. Sometimes it felt like he really was going to lose it. He wondered if Michael was the only thing keeping him sane, or if it was the fury he was feeling, the thought of getting Sam and Dean back for all of the pain they had caused him.

"What do you think he's doing?" Michael asked suddenly, taking his arm off of his face. For the first time in a _long _time, he sounded… oddly _curious_. His tone had lightened considerably, with a faint, tingling edge to it. Adam blinked his eyes open to look over at the archange with the same amount of curiosity, more or less for what he was saying than the thought of what Lucifer might be doing with his free time. "I mean, he pretty much got a get out of jail free card." Michael put his arms down beside him, heaving himself to sit up and balancing on his hands. "So what do you think he's doing with that, anyway?"

"Dude, I don't know," Adam mumbled, irritated, but a part of him couldn't help but wonder. There was absolutely nothing sane about Lucifer. So he couldn't be doing anything sane.

"Think it's better than cage wrestling?" Michael asked lightly, a faint smile appearing on his face for a second. It was the first one he had given… probably since Lucifer had gotten out. Adam marveled at that for a moment, genuinely. He couldn't bring himself to smile these days. The amount of anger he was holding just wouldn't allow it. However, a tiny bit of amusement did creep up in the demon's chest, just for a split second. Not enough to bring a smile to his face, but enough for something other than a scowl to appear on his lips.

"I can say with certainty, there's nothing better than cage wrestling."

Michael chuckled, and flopped back to the ground. Adam studied him for a moment, wondering what, exactly, was up with that, anyway. The archangel seemed to be in a relatively good mood, which wasn't exactly common in Hell. Especially not in this part of Hell.

He fell silent, swinging a little bit more.

Maybe it was just better not to think about it too much. The little, unexplainable things. Like why Michael was trying to lighten everything up. Why he wasn't going insane. Maybe that was what would end up driving him to the edge. The questions, the wondering, the _why, why, why_. It was like running in circles, a dog chasing its tail in an endless, horrible loop. Unable to catch up, but at the same time unable to give up. Like a constant circle, a cycle.

Unbreakable.

He fell backwards, landing on the ground with a harsh thud, kicking his feet off of the swing and letting his entire body collapse backwards onto the ground, burying himself into the mulch. The swing rocked gently back and forth above him, a little shaken from his movement. He stared for a while, somewhat entranced by the motions, before finally giving up.

One eye slipped shut, and then the other. There was no point in sleeping, of course, he didn't need to and he never would need to again, and he hadn't slept since before he'd landed in Hell. But sometimes a break was needed. Now was one of those times.

A soft sigh broke through his lips, and at the same time, Michael let out the same kind of sound. A gentle, almost content huff of air - _almost_. Because, for the moment, in this place and this place only, their worries unhooked and floated away, snipped and severed and dissipating into the air faster than either of them could register. For the moment, they weren't in Hell.

They weren't together. They weren't apart. They weren't two people. They weren't one person. Not quite Michael. Not quite Adam. Not quite anything. Hardly existing.

Just them. Just there. Just then.

For that moment, nothing else mattered but that.


	2. Chapter 2

"What… the actual fuck?"

Michael paused and turned a little, drawn out of his own thoughts. The memory he had been watching quickly dissolved, Lucifer and Gabriel easily fading away and the scene around him changing back to the usual, blank void it always was. The archangel sighed a little, sparing a wistful glance back over his shoulder before he headed off through the maze of memories, picking his way through the darkness and making his way straight to the park to find Adam. "What? What's going-" He stopped, going still, when he heard something rumbling faintly. It was coming from the outside - and if that wasn't weird enough, the memories seemed to completely shut down all at once, everything going pitch black. An anxious feeling rose to Michael's chest as he turned, but something much _lighter _was coming from Adam now, something… hopeful.

"Ad- Adam?" The archangel called out, rubbing his eyes a little and trying to bring up some light to the darkness. The memories had vanished, but he could still feel them, simply shoved back now, insignificant, their safe place unneeded. Michael figured he could really use it about now, _especially _now, but he fought the panic back and rose up slightly, bringing himself to the front of Adam's mind and forcing himself forward a little, eyes closing as he took half control.

When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the Cage. His eyes flickered, looking around, and his confusion grew further. The bars were trembling, the floor beneath them rumbling and shaking, the entire Cage creaking as if it were being ripped apart bit by bit. Michael reached out to grab one of the bars, an attempt to hold them steady, but Adam recoiled before they could come into contact, in favor of pacing over to the door. "Something's happening," the demon mumbled, reaching out to touch the bars. Michael shuddered a little the second their hand came into contact with it; He had spent so much time simply retreating into his memories that he had almost forgotten how cold and horrible the Cage really felt.

Michael paused and turned, eyes flickering around warily for a moment before he looked back at the door. Adam was silent now, running their fingers up and down the bars, and Michael eventually brought one hand up in an attempt to pass their fingers through one of the gaps. Usually, he wasn't able to do so, the warding, of course, keeping them completely trapped inside, as if a dome were over the cage - this time, however, their hand slid through the gap between two of the bars, all too easily.

Adam recoiled and backed away, while Michael just stared in stunned silence. _How, how the hell? That never used to happen before. Right? _The demon pressed, and Michael felt it, as the weight of the situation finally seemed to hit him, a rush of panic finally taking over as Adam managed another stumbling step backwards. … _Right?_

_I don't know… _Michael forced them forward again, despite Adam's internal protests. It was a little confusing, considering the demon didn't really get _scared_, but then- neither of them had ever had this happen before. It was puzzling, how the Cage was suddenly acting. It was something akin to when Lucifer had escaped, those brief, few moments the Cage had opened.

The thought sent a thrill down their spine, jumbled thoughts screeching to a halt as the storm of emotions ceased, just for a second, allowing them a brief moment of clarity as they wondered, _is that what's happening? Is the Cage __**opening?**_

Adam exhaled shakily, and Michael shook as he reached out again, closing their fingers around the bars once more. Adam wanted to pull back, Michael could feel it - he didn't want to believe it, he didn't want to hope that there was a chance at freedom - and yet, he _was_ hoping. And he could feel the terror and self-loathing mixing as the demon struggled, battling internally as they watched the Cage shake and tremble before them once more.

Michael swallowed and let their hands glide over the bars, toward the door. He reached out again, tentatively, holding his breath as he stuck his hand through the Cage, feeling along the outside and searching for the latch. He felt it, the second Adam finally retreated, his efforts to pull away finally ceasing as he simply stood back to watch, giving Michael full control. The archangel pressed his lips together into a thin line and finally managed to find the latch, eyes widening slightly in confusion - because it was unlatched. The Cage wasn't even locked.

_Holy shit. Holy shit._

Michael was practically buzzing inside, anxious and apprehensive as he pulled their hands back. Adam took back enough control to reach out and push at the door of the Cage. It didn't budge, not at first - too stuck, too rusted to move. The archangel shivered slightly, bringing his own strength into the mix - or, what was left of it. He wasn't exactly at full power now, thanks to the spells, and it would probably drain him further to use up what was left of his strength to open the Cage. And yet, it was worth it - anything, to get out of here, was worth it.

And finally, _finally_, it opened.

It swung forward, finally faltering under the strength of the archangel and the demon, and they stumbled forward a little bit with it. Adam recoiled, but Michael reached out, hands gripping the bars as he stared down with wide eyes. Something in his gut twisted at the realization that the door was open, that they could _leave_. Adam was unusually silent, but the way their hands shook as they clutched the bars was all him. The anxiety and confusion was all him.

Michael swallowed and finally retreated, retracting some of his control for the time being. Adam didn't move them, staying completely still, and Michael looked up after a second, trying to force his own thoughts to a halt. They just stood for a while, silent, for once completely lost in their own, separate trains of thought. And, after a while, Adam pushed them back, away from the entrance, and backed away toward the back of the Cage. Michael just watched, feeling sick, as they gained distance from the door, and as Adam finally just sank them down to sit against the bars of the Cage, arms wrapping around himself in an almost protective manner.

"Guess you're not ready, huh?" Michael mumbled after a moment, finally retracting the last of his control. It was still dark, the memories still forced to the back of their mind, but Michael didn't care. The darkness was welcome, at that point. He sank back into it, almost relishing the silence, then looked up when Adam appeared, releasing the rest of his control and retreating along with Michael. The demon didn't say anything at first, simply standing still in the darkness. His eyes were downcast, narrowed, contemplative.

"No," Adam finally responded, his voice uncharacteristically quiet, withdrawn. Michael glanced at him, mildly concerned, but the irritated glare Adam spared him made the archangel feel a little bit better. "Neither of us are," Adam continued, sitting down. "I mean… unless… can you fly?"

Michael hesitated, frowning. His wings were… well, they didn't hurt, but they were stiff. Flying didn't take too much power, but he imagined it _would _hurt, at least for a while, if he tried flying after so long of being so… dormant. And he wouldn't be able to get very far on tense wings. The archangel glanced up at Adam, who was just nodding quietly in agreement. Words weren't needed - they seldom were, with these two - and they both, at the very least, seemed to recognize that time was simply needed, in this case.

"You should try flying around the Cage," Adam muttered, curling his knees up to his chest. "We shouldn't stay inside too long, anyway. Just in case…"

"It closes again," Michael sighed, glancing up into the darkness. "Yeah." He fell silent for a moment, narrowing his eyes faintly as he stared upwards. Adam was right, at the very least, he needed to do a few round-abouts, stretch his wings out a little before he tried anything. And it wasn't like the demon exactly knew how to get around otherwise-

"Not that I couldn't figure it out," Adam cut in, annoyed.

"I know you could," Michael protested, letting his eyes drift shut for a moment. "But we don't even know what to do once we get out, or even how the Cage suddenly…" He trailed off, licking his lips, and Adam fell silent, the uncertainty seeming to get to him if only slightly. "I know we need to find Lucifer," the archangel finally stated, and Adam nodded. "But we don't even know where to begin, and neither of us are at full strength at the moment, so…"

Adam just huffed out a sigh, but he didn't protest. He seemed to accept the fact that they weren't going anywhere right then - I mean, hell, he's the one that had sat them down in the first place. It was interesting - he wasn't letting his rage get the better of him this time. "There's more important things right now," the demon huffed. "Like finding Lucifer."

"... Hope he's okay."

"He's the Devil," Adam grunted, stretching out slightly and falling back. Michael glanced down, running his fingers along the shadowy floor. "He's always okay."

Michael just nodded. Adam watched him for a moment, silent, before turning away. There was nothing left to say, and nothing left to do, for the moment. They were both conflicted, struggling against emotions they didn't fully understand, needing the time to simply process while they could. Neither of them knew how much time they had left, but Michael could only hope it was enough to figure out what they were going to do, how to proceed, and how to get them both back to full strength before they braved the outside world for the first time in forever.

The archangel, at least, wasn't at all sure how he was going to proceed here. He wanted to find Lucifer, yes, but that was as far as it went. He didn't know how much had changed, if anything. What he would do about Heaven. About _God_. He didn't even _know _how to feel about his Father anymore. And, himself aside… He could feel Adam's own uncertainty, his anger seeming to be at a surprising minimum. The demon was thinking beyond the Winchesters- but for the first time, Michael couldn't grasp exactly what it was he was thinking about now. And Michael was inside his head, for God's sake.

The archangel frowned and closed his eyes again. Freedom was right there, tantalizingly close. But maybe they had spent too long in the Cage, because at the moment… freedom somehow felt more restrictive than ever.


	3. Chapter 3

There was something horribly alien about stepping out of the Cage for the first time.

Adam, himself, could feel them shaking as they gripped the bars, taking careful steps out onto the chains holding the Cage up into the air. One look down into the darkness below was dizzying enough, and he couldn't express how grateful he was when Michael lifted their head up again, forcing their gaze ahead with a quiet, shaky sigh and an internal reminder to keep their head up and focus. The demon bit back a retort, balancing them once more and taking a few steps out. The chains rattled and shook under their weight, and Adam flinched, straining at the effort it was taking to keep them upright. Michael reached up, gripping one of the chains above them, but for the most part he was focused on unfurling his wings, slow and steady.

The demon exhaled, gaze flickering around warily, but Michael kept them looking up for the most part. Adam knew it was stupid, trying to look down from where they were, and he didn't even know why he was tempted to do so when all it did was make him feel sick. Michael sighed softly in response to those thoughts, and with one great jerk, they were walking again, balancing along over the chains toward the dimly-lit platform, illuminated only by the fire burning beneath it. Adam sighed in relief when they were back on solid ground, unconsciously reaching behind them as if to grip onto bars - before realizing, at the last minute, there were no bars to hold.

Michael, meanwhile, had other concerns now that he had gotten Adam to somewhere at least slightly more secure. "How am I supposed to fly around when you're scared of heights?"

A rush of indignation enveloped Adam for a second, but Michael's logic overpowered that quickly. The archangel had a point, much as the demon hated to admit it. Then again, Adam wouldn't quite call it _fear_ \- he didn't really feel _fear_, not to the extent that others did, at least. There was too much fury for that. But he still strongly disliked the idea of being so… high.

That is to say, at distance from the ground. Being high would be merciful right now…

"Oh, focus," Michael mumbled, disapproval clear in his tone as he pressed their lips into a thin, firm line, almost a scowl. "Just, relax. Okay…" The archangel took a quick look around, seeming to hesitate. "Stretching my wings won't do much good without a vessel, so I can't exactly leave you here while I'm… yeah. And, beyond that, I don't think leaving would be a good idea…"

"Because you're weak," Adam sighed. He probably could have phrased that better, judging by the offense radiating from the archangel now, but he brushed it off easily enough as he continued, "okay, so is there any way _I _can stand on the sidelines? I mean, no offense, but I don't exactly trust those giant feather-dusters…"

Michael rolled their eyes, one hand lightly gripping the fabric of Adam's shirt as he looked around again. "I don't know, honestly. In theory, you should be able to leave - your soul is demonized, after all, you have the ability to possess others. But then you'd kind of be flying yourself, while you're not inhabiting a body."

"So, that's out."

They were silent for a moment, the only sound being Adam's breathing. The demon didn't even need to, truthfully enough - but it was still a habit, at this point. He still remembered what it was like to be human, and most of it was just muscle memory now. The sound calmed Michael down quite a bit, too, when he was anxious - so, for the moment, they were just silent, thinking.

"What if I stay over the platform?" Michael finally suggested, turning to look around. Adam paused, letting their gaze trail over the floor beneath them, then toward the edge, uncertainly. "If I fall, we'll be able to catch ourselves, at least. Besides, it's not like it'll _hurt _you," his tone lightened a bit toward the end of his sentence, just a tad, but Adam just snorted, unamused. After a few moments, though, he gave in. He didn't trust Michael's wings, but a part of him trusted the archangel, at the very least. It was hard to share a body with someone for so long like this, to be so perfectly connected and in sync, and not form some kind of trust with them.

Michael seemed particularly pleased about that, prompting Adam to roll his eyes. That didn't mean he _liked_ the archangel, and he tried to stress that particular fact internally, but Michael was having none of it. Eventually, with Adam's unspoken consent, he finally unfurled his wings to their full length, shuddering a little as he stretched them out. For Adam, it was a particularly odd sensation. It didn't hurt him - but, judging by the way Michael seemed to be straining to keep them open, and the way their teeth clenched as he did, it was hurting the archangel - but it felt more or less _stiff _on his end, tense, the way your muscles got when you sat for too long. Kind of numb, too, like the sensation when one of your limbs fell asleep. It didn't hurt, but it was unpleasant on Adam's end - but, he wasn't going to complain. This was necessary.

"Just be glad it's not hurting you," Michael huffed a little, his voice strained. Adam bit back his retort to that, retracting most of his control - the archangel would need it more than he did. For the moment, the demon was simply a passenger, and Michael was driving. He took the archangel's unspoken "thank you" with nothing more than a grunt, as, still straining to keep his wings spread out, Michael pushed them up off of the ground, wings beating, blurring back and forth in and out of sight as the archangel struggled to pull them higher into the air.

Adam was silent, managing to control his nausea with focusing on the movement of the wings. They were kind of jerky - clearly hurt to move, at least, and he could feel the effort it was taking Michael to not just drop them back to the ground and curl up into a ball. The demon hesitated a little, unsure if there was anything he could do to take the load off, prodding a little and testing his limits of the control he had currently. There had to be something, at least - if Michael could control his limbs, maybe Adam could control Michael's. After all, that's all the wings were, right? Limbs?

"Adam," Michael warned, distracted now. Adam paused his prodding to listen, eyes narrowing faintly at the archangel continued. "Just let me take care of this. You've never flown before."

"You're overworking yourself," Adam snorted, but he retracted his control again, once more letting the archangel take the wheel. Michael didn't respond, simply managing to pull them a little bit higher before the pain seemingly won him over. The wings stopped, the lack of sound startling for just half a second, before they dropped. Adam stumbled quite a bit, and Michael straightened them up, catching them easily on one of the chains hooked to the platform and pushing them back away from the edge before they could topple over it.

"Wasn't a total loss," the archangel said a little uncertainly, as if he didn't _quite _believe his own words. "I stayed up a lot longer than I thought I would, for my first time flying in… who knows how long…" He trailed off, and Adam licked his lips and stayed silent, closing their eyes. He didn't like the idea of Michael being in pain - for whatever reason, it simply irked him. After a few moments, he simply retreated completely, diminishing the last of his control and pushing himself into the back of their mind once more. He had been too conflicted recently, emotionally, to worry about this on top of everything else - he needed to stop thinking. The demon could feel the concern radiating from Michael's side, but the archangel seemed to understand that he needed his space, and so he simply let him retreat for the most part.

By the time Michael had started round two, Adam had settled himself in the park, on one of the swings, pretending the sound of Michael's wings flapping through the air was really wind breezing through the park, rustling the trees, moving the empty swings back and forth. Pretending, when Michael finally did collapse, unable to do any more for the time being, that the concern rushing through him was simply the fear of not being able to get out of Hell, rather than the fear that the archangel was about to break himself even further.

* * *

The routine went on for a while. Neither of them were quite sure how long - Michael, if he had to guess, would say a week or so, but as time passed differently in Hell, he could never be too sure about that. Adam felt like it had been much longer, but rather than feeling irritated about that, he was almost grateful. Truth be told, he wasn't sure he was ready to leave the Cage yet. Facing the real world seemed great, sure, when you were trapped - but now that the chance was there, Adam found himself growing more apprehensive than anything, as if something bad was going to happen the second they set foot on the surface again.

At the moment, Michael was pacing them back and forth across the platform, wings twitching, curling, stretching out - anything he could do to make them a bit less tense. Adam had their head turned so he could see the Cage, silent as he watched the fire flickering below it, licking at the chains and the edges of their Hellish prison. They shuddered - and neither of them knew who that reaction had come from, in particular. It could have been both of them, it could have been one of them - they had no idea, but they weren't about to worry about that.

Adam pressed their eyes shut for a moment, but Michael blinked them open again, turning to look at his wings. The demon fell silent, letting his gaze roam over the bristling white feathers as Michael spread them out again and stopped pacing, turning away from the edge and taking a few steps further out onto the platform. Adam grimaced, immediately retracting his control, and Michael allowed him to get settled in the park before he pushed them up with a simple, strong beat of his wings, holding them steady in the air and bringing them even higher.

The archangel wasn't straining to keep them up anymore, Adam noted. He seemed at ease with it now - the rounds had certainly done him a lot of good, at the very least. He didn't seem to be in pain. Adam sighed, pacing over to the slide and letting himself collapse backwards onto it. He slid down a bit, ankles digging into the mulch as he fought to steady himself, then simply shut his eyes and tried to focus on what Michael was doing. It was easier to watch him when he wasn't in pain - something Adam refused to really _note_ \- and so Adam simply focused on the way his wings would move, the way he pulled them further up into the air and dived down-

Adam tore his focus away at that, before the nausea could catch up to him.

Michael pulled up at the last second, though, thankfully enough. He did a few loop-the-loops, making sure Adam had properly distracted himself with something in the park before he did so, spiraling through the air and turning every which way. Adam knew he was just trying to get a feel for his wings again, for flying again - and, of course, he could tell Michael was enjoying the freedom that came with being able to openly soar like this - but he couldn't fight back the rising irritation, as well as the nausea. Was he going to have to get used to this?

Michael slowed, at that, and Adam settled again. The archangel did a few more loops before landing, carefully, back on the platform, wings raising and folding backwards as he settled them back on the ground. Adam paused slightly before taking some of the control again so that he could look around, craning their head to look back at the wings. "Seems easier now, huh?"

"Yeah," Michael sighed, stretching their arms up slightly. _I haven't flown like that in too long, _the archangel noted quietly, but he left that unspoken. Adam fell silent, eyebrows furrowing. "I think we're almost ready. Maybe a few more round-abouts, I'm still kinda stiff, but…"

Adam didn't say anything, fighting back the anxiety bubbling in his chest. Michael went quiet, himself - Adam could sense his own unease, not quite as strong as the demon's, but enough for him to know that the archangel was just as anxious about what they were going to do when they got to the surface. Finding Lucifer was about as far as they had gotten in their plans - it was the only secure thing that had decided on. Everything aside from that was just… well, the sky was the limit, apparently, and Adam didn't know how to feel about that.

He wished he knew why he was so anxious, though. There had to be more to it than just, being uncertain about what to do now that they weren't trapped in the Cage. But Adam had never been big on emotions, even before his transformation, so it wasn't like he was pressing…

"... Adam," the archangel finally spoke, sounding hesitant. "You don't want to- you don't want to _stay_, do you?" Adam didn't respond, not at first, but their nose wrinkled, face scrunching up in clear irritation, before the annoyed expression relaxed. Adam rolled their eyes to the side, flicking their gaze over the Cage, and then to the flickering fire below. And then, with a huff, he retreated again for the most part, handing the control over to Michael but staying in the front so that he could still see what was going on.

_No, idiot. Don't give me that shit, man, you know you're just as anxious about taking the A train to Earth, anyway, _he snapped back in response, and Michael sighed, running their fingers through their hair. _Just chill, asshole. We'll go whenever the fuck you're ready- I couldn't care less, anyway, so…_

Michael snorted a little, an unspoken _you know that's not true_, but he fell silent. And, with a hum, he stepped back and spread his wings again; Adam retreated back to the park just before he pushed them up again, preparing himself for yet another round-about.


	4. Chapter 4

_Are we ready? Can we do this? _

The questions, doubts, uncertainties that plagued Michael's mind were dizzying, horrible, and nerve-wracking. The time spent testing himself - testing his wings -, and preparing, getting ready to leave the Cage for the first time, was almost torturous. The archangel knew most of the anxiety came from Adam - and he _wished _he knew what the demon was anxious about, but it seemed that even his little body-buddy didn't even know, himself - but Michael was rather apprehensive, himself. Neither of them knew what to do with themselves when they got out, but for Michael, he just felt _lost. _He didn't know what _side _he was on anymore.

God had left him. To _rot_. His most loyal angel, his willing soldier, his loving son - and God had left him for who knows how long, sitting in Hell, in a Cage. It was upsetting, it was confusing - and "God always has a plan" could only remain an excuse for so long before he finally started asking questions, started prodding at the ever-so breaking, formerly unwavering loyalty. There was a time when Michael would have given anything for his Father, when, if ordered to, he would sit in the Cage willingly. But that was then.

Things were different now - this wasn't what was _supposed _to happen, Michael wasn't _supposed _to be here. And, yet, here he was, and here he had been for years. It had taken a lot of silent questioning, a lot of internal turmoil, a lot of conflicted emotions, before Michael had steadily began to realize that God didn't _care_. He had cast Lucifer away, after all, like he was nothing. And he was willing to do the same to Michael, as long as the archangel had proven himself useless. And, apparently, he _was _useless, in God's eyes. And after that realization had struck, Michael had broken, spiraled into a horrible, twisting, sense of _nothing_, a complete lack of self-worth, a lack of purpose. Who was he, if he wasn't God's most trusted, loyal angel? Who was he, if he wasn't His beloved son? Who was he, if his own Father thought of him as nothing?

Adam never spoke with him about that, in particular, but there were times he could feel the anger from the demon as he thought about it. Not toward him, but toward God - as if his Father was the one to be blamed. Michael hadn't thought much of it before, but now, looking back, he began to wonder if maybe that _was _the case. Those rose-colored glasses had finally cracked - Hell, they'd _shattered _along with all of Michael's pride, and after a while of scrambling and trying to pick up the pieces, the archangel had abruptly stopped. Stopped, to wonder, and ask himself, was He really worth falling apart over, if God didn't think _he _was worth anything?

The questions stacked up. Day after day, more questions would arise. Some of them, he ended up being able to answer on his own - but most of them felt impossible to answer. Most of them simply felt like they would be there forever, itching at the back of his mind, making him think when he didn't _want _to think, and making him wonder, and stress. These days, it seemed, Michael was always stressing over something.

"I think we're ready."

Michael paused, looking up. Adam had retreated from the park, sharing control with him once more, as the angel had landed absently while he was lost in thought. Michael just nodded a little, looking back toward the Cage absently as their fingers ran through their hair, brushing it back steadily as the archangel struggled against his own conflicted feelings. Seeing the Cage again, he could feel Adam's own uncertainty raging higher and higher, the anxiety almost overtaking them; He exhaled sharply and screwed their eyes shut, trying to force back the burning, and yet freezing feeling that had crept up into their chest. It was sickening.

He wanted to say something, but he didn't quite know what to say at this point. Freedom was right there, moments away. If they were ready, they should go, Michael reasoned with himself. And yet, a part of him didn't even _want _to, a part of him longed to stay. The Cage was secure. He wasn't expected to be anything, or do anything specific in the Cage. It was odd, how their prison had ended up becoming… somewhat of a safe place for the archangel, but it had.

Adam's anxiety strengthened at those thoughts, and at first, Michael thought maybe it was because the demon thought that the archangel was going to try to stay - but, after pressing a little, that wasn't the case. For a moment, he almost despaired; After so long together, he should _know _Adam enough by now to be able to understand what was going on with him, why he was feeling so apprehensive, but he genuinely couldn't place it now.

"Well, stop trying," Adam mumbled, tone edged with something akin to annoyance, and yet, not quite. Michael shook their head a little and rubbed a hand down their face, turning away from the edge, from the Cage, and forcing his gaze ahead, where the platform led to one of the many hallways of Hell. The archangel almost shuddered, but he fought it down.

Adam finally brought himself forward a little, taking enough control to get them to start walking. The anxiety didn't quite diminish as they ducked into the hallway, but he seemed to be trying to focus on his other emotions for the most part; After a moment, Michael joined him, continuing on their way. Adam didn't want to, but Michael spared one last glance back toward the Cage before they turned down another corridor, leaving the fiery pit and their cell behind.

They paused, looking ahead again. The dark corridor seemed almost endless, but, peering ahead, Michael noted a light at the end of the tunnel - literally, not at all metaphorically-

"Hellfire, anyway," Adam commented idly, and Michael snorted slightly as they continued on their way. "You're quiet," the demon said suddenly, a little quieter than before, and the archangel frowned slightly. He picked up on just the slightest hint of concern from Adam - something the demon was refusing to admit was his own, anyway, and the archangel bit back a faint smile despite himself.

"I'm thinking."

"Oh, no, I know that. Your _thoughts _are quiet." A short pause followed the words before Adam continued, irritation returning. "Not that I'm complaining, of course."

"Of course." Their lips twitched slightly as Michael nodded, as if understanding, as they continued on. Their hand passed over a torch, unlit; A fire burst to life the second they came into contact, and for a moment, Michael wondered who was responsible for that; He hadn't felt any of his own power drain, so one would assume it was Adam. Which was interesting - if Adam was gaining better control of his powers, he must be getting stronger somehow.

"Hell seem quieter than usual to you?" Adam asked suddenly as they paused at the end of the corridor, entering somewhat of a crossroads. Michael raised their eyebrows at the demon's words, frowning slightly and glancing down the hall to the left, and then looking right again. Adam seemed more focused on whatever was ahead, the Hellfire still burning just in the distance. It looked close enough, but Michael knew it would probably be a while before they reached it, if they headed in that direction. But, truthfully, he really didn't know - he hadn't actually been in Hell, himself, before, so he didn't exactly know his way around.

"It's always quiet, Adam," the archangel responded absently, deciding on the path to the left. Adam snorted, shooting a glance ahead, but he didn't protest to the chosen path with anything more than an irritated huff as he replied.

"I said quieter than usual, Michael. And kind of empty, too. I can usually at least sense others around, but…" Adam trailed off, and Michael stopped walking for a second to consider that, a slight frown tugging at his lips. Now that he was paying attention, Adam had a point - it was relatively empty, more so than Michael had expected from Hell. He couldn't sense any other demons - he couldn't even sense any tortured souls. It was as if…

… as if every soul in Hell had just disappeared?

Adam pushed them forward a little, his anxiety fizzling out completely into confusion. Michael slowed them down, however, to take a look down another corridor as they passed. Empty. The entire place was dead; If there were tumbleweeds in Hell, it would be a perfect time for one to roll by them as they walked. Adam rolled their eyes at the thought, but even he couldn't disguise his own amusement as they continued on their way.

"Well, it's not our problem," Adam mumbled, shrugging slightly.

"But if there's something wrong, we should check it out," Michael protested tentatively, crossing their arms over their chest and looking ahead again with a frown. "I mean, maybe it has something to do with why the Cage opened." Adam didn't respond after that, but he gave in begrudgingly after a moment, with nothing more than a slightly irritated sigh.

After a while of walking, Adam suddenly stopped them short. Michael paused, drawn from his thoughts, and frowned slightly as he glanced around. "What-"

"Look down, dumbass."

Michael paused and glanced down at once, and immediately took a few good steps back. They had just barely avoided walking straight off of an edge, where the floor beneath them suddenly dropped to darkness. He forced their gaze up quickly, feeling Adam becoming nauseous - and paused. It was one of the many racks in Hell that he'd heard of - where they chained the souls up in the air and tortured them. It was empty, however, the chains hanging down loosely, still covered in blood, the hooks still bent as if they were pressed into flesh.

"That's… a little unnerving," they mumbled, taking a few more steps now. At least they could agree on that; The sight simply sickened them both. Shaking their head, Michael turned and continued on, taking a deep breath. "This is why we should have gone straight ahead," Adam muttered sourly, and Michael let out a small grunt of agreement. Fine, he'd be sure to listen to the demon at the next crossroad they reached, but it wasn't like Adam had any more sense of direction down here than Michael did…

"Shut up."

"Oh, I'm not saying a word…"

After a while of walking, they concluded that, yes, Hell was empty. They still couldn't find the exit, wherever it was, but Michael had taken to flying to make things go a little faster as they continued on. He kept them mostly close to the ground, however, mostly because Adam was growing increasingly nauseous, but also because he had already hit his head on one of the doorways leading into another corridor, and he didn't quite wish to relive that experience.

Either way, Adam was growing irritated and Michael was losing his battle against his own despair, and both of them were about ready to call it quits at any given moment. Michael couldn't fly them out of Hell if he couldn't find the _exit _to fly out of, and while they both had their own conflicting feelings about that, they were more or less just annoyed. Adam, at least, was annoyed. Michael was just feeling extremely, utterly helpless.

"Okay, I give up," Adam finally decided, as Michael swooped down and landed, bringing them through yet another doorway and down yet another hallway - seriously, how many hallways did they have in Hell? "Let's just go back to the Cage. We can say we tried."

"Yeah, I'm not doing that," Michael muttered, pausing slightly at another doorway. It dropped off again, and Michael half-expected to see more bloody chains - but, no, it was just a spiraling pit of darkness. The archangel frowned, letting their gaze flicker around, and upwards.

He was about to look away and turn again, when Adam did a quick double take. There was no ceiling; It spiraled up, to the top, darkness fading to a brighter, white kind of light, and Michael raised their eyebrows as he stepped forward to look closer. Adam recoiled from the edge, but Michael continued to press forward, leaning forward and looking up. The light wasn't the dark, red, Hellish flames that they had seen thus far. It was bright, and steady - it almost reminded Michael of the way Heaven used to glow, bringing up a familiar, longing ache to his chest.

"Okay, okay, okay, can you get homesick later?" Adam complained, swallowing an shifting them back away from the edge once more. "If that's the entrance, great, you go ahead, I'm just, I'm just gonna…" He stopped, swallowed again, and Michael felt it as he released the rest of his control and retreated completely, most likely heading back to the park.

The archangel sighed, staring up as he waited for the demon to get settled. And, once he had, Michael shifted and spread his wings carefully, taking a step out and looking down at the darkness below him. There wasn't a chance of dropping - Michael had gained enough control over his wings to be able to hold them steady, and the rational part of him knew this, but he couldn't help feeling anxious. Or maybe that was Adam - Michael didn't know, and he was too tired to figure it out. Shaking the thoughts off, he looked up again and pushed them up carefully.

It didn't hurt as badly as before, but there was still a slight twinge, a cramp, just for a second, as he started flying at first. It faded quick enough, however, and Michael stretched the wings out a little before lashing them both downwards, one quick beat sending them up to the light.

There was no resistance, which surprised Michael for a second. But he flew through easily, the light enveloping them completely, and he shuddered a little as he looked down. He couldn't see Hell anymore, the darkness gone; It was just light now, surrounding them completely. The archangel hesitated, uncertain, but after a moment, he simply continued pushing them upwards. There was a building pressure, just for a second, as if they were being squeezed through a tube - but that was about it. The light died, the further they went…

And then, there was one last, blinding flash, and they were suddenly _falling_.

Michael panicked, just for a second, wondering if they were falling right back down into Hell. But they landed barely a second later, before they had even really begun falling, honestly, and they hit something solid the second they did, collapsing onto their hands and knees with a short, startled gasp. He stared down, just for a second, before looking up. His wings were still spread, feathers bristling slightly, but completely unmoving now, as if paralyzed.

One look around told the archangel everything he needed to know to both send him into another panic attack, and to completely relieve him at the same time. He faltered, pushing them up a little bit, and sat back on their knees with a sharp, shaky inhale, hardly daring to really believe what he was seeing. "Adam…" He choked out, quietly, and the demon wasted absolutely no time in pushing himself forward to watch, bringing himself up along with Michael, taking back half of his control and turning their head to look around with a slight frown.

The way they shook, visibly, eyes widening, let Michael know that he wasn't the only one panicked about where they were. The anxiety from Adam came at full force, almost enough to knock them over, but Michael held them steady. Neither of them dared to stand.

"Shit…" Adam muttered, breathlessly.

They had landed themselves right in the middle of Stull Cemetery.


	5. Chapter 5

Demons didn't need to breathe. Archangels didn't need to breathe.

Yeah, Adam seemed to have forgotten that particular fact. Or at least, some part of him had. Sure, _logically _speaking, he knew his lungs and chest shouldn't be burning like this. He knew he shouldn't be gasping, fighting to suck the air in, but he felt suffocated. Every breath he took in felt like jamming needles down his throat, and the more he tried, the more it hurt. Internally, Michael was silent, most of his control withdrawn as the two sat and struggled, fighting to piece themselves back together, a half-hearted, futile attempt to pick up whatever seemed to have shattered the second that they hit the surface. It was panic, Adam knew on some level, the reason he couldn't breathe, or move, or _think_, was one-hundred-percent pure, utter panic. And the more he considered that, the worse it became, because Adam didn't _panic _he wasn't supposed to _panic he was a demon for crying out loud he didn't get like this-_

He was glad, in all honesty, when Michael surged up and took control again. A deep breath in was all he needed, and the archangel obliged happily, opening their mouth and inhaling as deeply as possible. It still hurt, just a bit, but Michael didn't falter, holding the breath for a good few seconds before letting out in a low, short huff. Adam shuddered, digging their fingers into the ground, and this time breathed in with him as Michael opened their mouth again. Slow and steady breaths - and the archangel made sure to remind Adam of this as they did so - in, hold it, and out again. It was stupid - or at least, it made Adam feel stupid - but it helped.

Finally, the demon could relax. The stiffness in his muscles loosened considerably, the death grip he had on the ground falling lax as they sat back again. Michael looked down, pulling their hands up out of the grass, and brushing some dirt off in the process. Adam stayed still, for the most part, letting him move for them while he struggled to piece himself together. Now that he wasn't on the verge of a panic attack, at least, he could _somewhat _think clearly. All things considered, he shouldn't really be panicking, should he? They had gotten what they _wanted_, they were on _Earth_, right? Away from the Cage, away from Hell - so why did that thought make him feel worse? Why did the idea of freedom make him feel worse?

_Easy, _Michael continued to soothe, and while a great part of Adam was grateful, there was still a larger part of him that wanted to tell the archangel to piss off. He couldn't help the irritation and he had _long _gotten over trying to fight it, but for Michael's sake, he bit his tongue and kept quiet. Michael fell silent after a moment, as well, knowing that Adam was only a few seconds away from snapping, and instead the archangel finally pushed them both up to stand. Adam winced a little, hit with another, sudden wave of nausea, and he finally spared a glance upwards as Michael folded his wings back and brushed them off a little, turning to look around.

Ah, yes, Stull Cemetery. The panic attack made sense now, Adam noted quietly, keeping his mouth shut and inhaling deeply through his nose, just to keep himself from another panic attack. Michael was quiet, but judging by the archangel's unease, he didn't seem to be too fond of the area either. This is where it had all began, after all. This is where they had fallen, in more ways than one. Adam faltered, retracting his control but staying in front to watch.

"You okay?" Michael muttered, hands shaking slightly as he wrapped their arms around them, taking a few steps away from a gravestone and turning away to leave. Adam didn't reply by much, just an internal, unspoken _yeah, _as Michael searched for the exit. The demon didn't want to say anything, figuring that Michael wasn't fit to fly again for a little while after that - he had, most likely, drained his power, getting them out of Hell. Adam frowned a little bit, mulling over that thought, before pushing himself forward again. Michael surrendered the control without hesitation, settling back in the front of their mind where he could watch. _What?_

"My turn, isn't it? Take a break, asshole," Adam muttered back in response, clenching his teeth to keep back another wave of nausea as he started walking. It didn't take long to find the entrance to the cemetery - if he was being honest, he was more eager to leave this place than he had been to leave the Cage. And speaking of that… Adam could almost say he missed it, in a way. At least, he missed being down there, where the air was breathable. Fresh air shouldn't be so hard to register - and it shouldn't be so _painful_, and yet, it was.

The demon paused, sparing a glance over their shoulder as he continued on. Then, sighing, he flicked his gaze to the side and turned to look ahead once more, dropping his arms to shove his hands into his pockets instead. He relaxed as Michael did, the archangel finally settling down completely and retreating to recover. Good, he needed a break - damn archangel, overworking himself, as usual. He knew it certainly wasn't Michael's damaged pride keeping him from letting Adam help him, so he really didn't know what the big deal was - at least, however, for the moment, Michael was letting him take the reigns.

There was, of course, the issue of _why _the fuck Adam even gave a shit - but he wasn't about to go too deeply into that. The point of the matter was that, at the moment, he was stronger than Michael. And, so, he should be in control for now, until the archangel had recovered. The demon nodded a little and continued on, sighing. Finding Lucifer had waited this long, he figured it could wait a little bit longer. They both needed some time to recover, and Adam, regardless, had a few things he wanted to do. Such as find somewhere to take a shower, get some clean clothes, shave… yeah, that all sounded pretty good. Then they could find Lucifer.

_And Sam and Dean, _he recalled, internally. The familiar rush of anger flared back up, and Adam welcomed it with open arms - he'd been so distracted by the other emotions, it was actually kind of surprising, he had ended up missing the fury more than he'd bargained for. But, he most certainly hadn't forgotten about the Winchesters, and he most certainly hadn't forgiven them. How could he?

There was a surprising lack of protest; Adam stopped walking for a second, narrowing his eyes. Michael was still, and silent - prodding just a little further, the demon realized, the archangel was _asleep_. Whether or not he needed sleep was up for debate - but, then, if that's the case, he must _really _need it - but Adam didn't care either way. Fine, let halo doze off a little bit - again, a rest would be good for him, he'd been stressing his ass off lately.

In the meantime, Adam could take care of whatever the hell needed to be done. He looked down, adjusting his jacket, and continued on. It felt… oddly weird, being on his own for the first time - while he could still feel Michael, he was used to at least having him there to talk to. The reminder that he was still _there_ helped to calm the slight anxiety that rose in his chest, but even his silent reassurances didn't do too much to quell the twinges. Adam just shook his head, fighting to ignore it, and looked around. Wherever they were, there had to be a store or something nearby, right? Figuring out what year this was would be a good step…

Feeling something brush over his head, the demon looked up at once, turning to see what had hit him. But, just as soon as it had appeared, an orange streak flashed right past him and disappeared into the air. Adam blinked, and stared for a moment, an odd look crossing his face. Yeah, that was certainly… unusual. He turned, after a few seconds, to look back at where it had come from, but - there was nothing else. Whatever the hell it was had gone.

Adam frowned, shaking his head a little, and continued on a little more carefully. Sure, that was unusual, but unusual things happened - and that was pretty much his entire existence, now, at least ever since he had been possessed by a fucking angel and fallen through one of the many gates of Hell, and into the Devil's cage. And, of course, become a demon. Unusual things happened. And Adam didn't care enough to try and figure this out, much less question it. Questioning things had landed him in Hell, more or less.

Brushing a hand through his hair, he looked up and continued on.

* * *

Michael was still asleep by the time Adam had hit the first store. Well- store was putting it lightly. It was a gas station, sort of in the middle of nowhere. But, it was the first actual place Adam had come across upon getting to the surface, so he'd take what he could get. Admittedly, though, he hesitated briefly outside. There were _people _inside, after all, and it wasn't as if Adam had too much social interaction in the Cage. Lucifer was the most he had gotten, for that. Michael didn't really count as "other people" - they were pretty much the same person now, more or less, and either way, he was probably the only living being that Adam was really comfortable with.

There wasn't much to do here, anyway, except grab a newspaper, which were inside on the stand. Hell, he didn't even have to take it with him, for crying out loud - just a quick glimpse, in and out, and then he was on his way to somewhere that actually had clothes. The demon sighed, taking in a breath, and pushed the door open to walk inside, a scowl tugging at his lips as he made his way over to the newspaper stand, plucking one up.

It took several moments of scanning the date to actually register it. Month and day, he didn't care about - the year is what stood out to him. _2019\. _It was… 2009 when Sam had landed them in the Cage, yeah? So- ten fucking _years_.

Admittedly enough, though, what shocked him was that he had expected it to be longer. It had felt like longer.

Running his fingers through his hair, the demon dropped the newspaper and turned away again, taking a deep breath and looking up. Ten years. Not as long as he had thought, maybe, but long enough - and, either way, it made his heart pump a little bit quicker, his fury grow a little bit further. Ten years, and _nothing_. They hadn't even tried, had they? No, once Sam had been sprung, that was it - little old Adam was forgotten, insignificant, not a part of their story. The more he thought about it, the worse he felt. The more he wanted to pick up that newspaper stand and chuck it through the glass window. Finding Sam and Dean was somehow a lot more appealing than before, he noted icily, because now he had extra motivation for bashing their heads in.

"Sir?" Adam twitched, and looked over - hearing a voice that wasn't his own, coming from the outside, was stranger than he'd thought it would be - but even stranger, was being called _sir_. The clerk was staring at him, big blue eyes wide with concern as she leaned over the counter, frowning. "Are you alright?"

Adam stared, silent, then let out a huff and rolled his eyes. Of course, this is what he had to deal with now - _humans_. All up in his business, too. Truth be told, no, Adam wasn't alright - he didn't even know when the last time he _was _alright was - but that wasn't any of this lady's business. "Yeah, I'm fuckin' peachy," he finally snapped, not waiting for a reaction nor a response before he turned and left the store, letting the door swing shut behind him a little harsher than when he'd come in. He'd gotten what he came for, but he wasn't at all pleased with the results.

The demon breathed in once he had gotten outside, passing a hand over his head and looking down. A part of him, a tiny part, acknowledged that he could use some quiet-but-optimistic remark from Michael right about then, a soothing remark, a calming word. It was only occurring to him now just how much he relied on the archangel to keep him calm - and in this situation, especially, how much he would need him even more.

Shaking his head, Adam struggled to tune those thoughts out. Michael was just taking a break. He was still there, just resting - it wasn't like he had _left_. Another rush of anxiety bubbled up in the demon's chest, stifled only by the frustration that was also brewing. He shouldn't be worried about this, he shouldn't _care_, and he… he didn't. He _couldn't_. He didn't have the capacity.

Adam pressed his lips together, into a thin line, as he looked back toward the store for just a second before heading off again, somewhat begrudgingly. Flying would be particularly useful right about now - fucking hell, he couldn't wait until Michael woke up. He was having absolutely no luck on his own. It was almost night time, and he was still just wandering. Uselessly. Michael would have found somewhere by now, been a little more _productive _by now…

_The hell is wrong with you? _He berated himself internally, screwing his eyes shut and shaking his head a little as he walked. _Fuck's sake, your life doesn't revolve around Michael. _That was true, of course, wasn't it? He could handle himself just fine without the archangel for at _least _a little while longer. _Stop acting like a helpless idiot. You don't need him for this!_

Even with that thought in his head, though, he couldn't shake the emptiness as he continued on, finally blinking his eyes open to look up at the sky, and then ahead again. It was achingly _hollow_, and he didn't think he was going to be able to do anything about that, no matter what he told himself.


	6. Chapter 6

Michael's dreams were more peaceful than anyone could expect. He dreamed he was back in Heaven, with his siblings, his family reunited again. He dreamed of Lucifer and Gabriel, pulling pranks on the other angels with them, dodging Uriel and Raphael and causing as much trouble as possible without actually getting _in _trouble. He dreamed of the days before the Rebellion, before Lucifer's Fall; When they were happy, and free, and young. Those were the good days, the Golden Days, and Michael relished every second he could spend like this.

But, all good things must come to an end. Waking up wasn't as peaceful, nor was it as gratifying. He did awake feeling much better - much _stronger_, that is to say, but a bit confused. Everything was still by the time he had awoken, and quiet; After a moment, taking a good few seconds to wake up completely, he finally pushed himself forward to take control. There was no restraint as he did so, no battle, and he realized at once that Adam seemed to have retreated.

The archangel sighed and pushed them up a little to look around, blinking a few times as he took in their surroundings. Adam had brought them to a park, it seemed. Not one from the memory, no - this one was smaller, but just as abandoned. It was dark, the stars glittering above, clouds covering the moon, a soft breeze brushing across the area. The sound of trees rustling and swings creaking made him think back to the park from Adam's memories.

And, of course, one would assume that was where Adam was now - he must have been hit with the same bit of nostalgia. The archangel retreated at once, letting them fall back into the grass.

Finding the park again wasn't hard - it was brought back up, to the front of their mind, relevant once more. And, of course, he was pleased to see Adam there when he arrived. The demon was settled on the swings, as per usual, lightly gliding back and forth as he stared down. His gaze flickered up, however, as Michael approached - and, for just a second, his expression brightened considerably. The archangel stopped short at that, genuinely stunned - but the expression was masked as quickly as it had come. Regardless, Michael was still left marveling over that as Adam spoke. "Well, well, good morning, sleeping beauty."

"Ah… hush," Michael mumbled, running his fingers through his hair. He continued forward, sparing the demon a slightly curious look as he sat down on the swing beside him, lightly pushing himself back a little bit and letting himself swing forward. "I'm sorry," he added after a moment, meaning it. "I didn't mean to, uh… fall asleep. It's not supposed to happen, anyway."

"Oh, yeah, no. You're absolutely horrible." Adam pushed himself back a little as well, taking his feet off of the ground and letting himself swing forward, just a little higher than Michael. After a moment of watching, curious, the archangel did the same, pushing himself back as far as he could before letting himself go. "Really, you should be burned at the stake. Needing a rest because you overwork yourself constantly? _Blasphemy. _I know where we're going next; Somewhere with a guillotine. Horrible, horrible angel, you are."

Despite himself, Michael was smiling by the end of Adam's little speech, digging his heels into the ground to stop himself as he came back down. He pushed himself a little bit lighter after that, turning his gaze to the demon beside him. Adam wasn't quite smiling, but the rage had been considerably stifled, something akin to amusement having replaced it for the time being. "... I have a question."

"Shoot, halo."

"How is it," Michael started, pushing himself back again and swinging forward. "That you're scared of heights, but you can swing without a problem?" Adam didn't respond, but he stopped the swing short, an odd look crossing his face for a second as Michael continued, "it's just that every time we're in here, you go straight to the swings. And you can push yourself as high as it can go and not even care at all."

"... See, you're asking questions I don't know the answer to," Adam grumbled, pushing himself back again. "Ask me what year it is or something. I can answer that. Swings? I don't know, man. At least, I mean, I can hold onto these." He rattled the chains holding the swings up a little. "I'm not gonna, like, fall off or anything. So."

"Mm…" Michael fell silent for a moment, considering that, before he registered another part of Adam's sentence - _ask me what year it is_. The archangel paused and looked over again, and the demon smirked a little to himself, of course, already knowing what was next. "Alright, what-"

"2019," Adam interrupted before he had even finished the sentence, sounding rather smug. Michael quirked an eyebrow at that, but shook his head a little, choosing instead to focus on what Adam was saying. "So we've been in Hell for ten years." He looked over at the archangel, clearly waiting for a reaction, but Michael only frowned, silent, thinking, before giving nothing more than a nod and looking away again, swinging himself backwards once more.

"... That's it?" Adam questioned disbelievingly. "We've been in Hell for ten years, and that's- that's _okay _with you?" At that, Michael almost snorted, stopping the swing again with a frown.

"Of course not, Adam," the archangel chided, letting his head fall back to stare up at the sky. "But, I mean- what can we do, right? We're out now. We can't change how long we were in there for, so why bother worrying about it?" Michael hesitated a little, frowning. "... Besides, honestly, it- it felt like a lot longer than ten years. So it doesn't really matter how long it was up here."

Adam fell silent for a few moments, thinking about that. Then, with a slow, steady sigh, he looked back up at the sky himself, pushing himself back a little once more. "Yeah. Guess so."

Michael nodded a little, looking over at the demon as the last of his fury seemed to diminish right then and there. At least, for the time being, he was mostly calm. The archangel watched him for a moment before turning away again, leaning his head back. "Anything on Lucifer?"

Adam frowned, and the disappointment radiating from the demon gave Michael his answer before Adam had even opened his mouth to respond. "Nah. I haven't- really been looking, to be honest?" He snorted a little and suddenly fell back, letting himself crash backwards into the mulch. A quiet "oof" left the demon's lips, bringing a very faint smile to Michael's face, just for a second, before he continued, "I've been kinda busy, you know, trying to figure out where and when we are. And stealing clothes."

Michael arched an eyebrow, and Adam shot him a quick side-glance, before simply shrugging as if to say _don't ask_. "Right." The archangel frowned and looked away again, thinking. Lucifer could be anywhere on Earth - literally anywhere. And, sure, Michael felt a lot better after his little rest, but he didn't think he was exactly at full strength. Not enough to go around the whole world looking for his brother. And, above all that, for the first time, he realized, he couldn't even sense Lucifer at all.

"Oh, yeah, that. There's that."

"Well…" Michael trailed off and shook his head a little. "We're out of the Cage, right? That's one step forward." He looked down, swinging backwards again. "We'll figure everything out in due time. We just… gotta stay focused."

Adam didn't respond for a moment. There was a slight tingle of relief coming from him, however, startlingly enough. Relief, and satisfaction, and something else that Michael couldn't quite place. The archangel spared the demon another glance, which Adam returned silently before he turned away again, rolling over onto his stomach and stretching out with a sigh. "Whatever," he sighed, but his tone lacked any trace of irritation or annoyance now. Simply, quiet. Blank. "But I'm not doing shit until tomorrow. I've been walking all day, I had to deal with people, and at one point I was actually fucking approached by a _child_."

"Oh, no, a child," Michael muttered, "how horrible." Adam finally shot him a glare, the irritation returning tenfold as if to make up for lost time, and the archangel shook his head a little. "Teasing, Adam, relax. I'll take the lead tomorrow. It's your turn to rest."

"_I _don't need rest because _I _don't stress myself out like you do," Adam retorted with a roll of his eyes. "With that said, though, I don't wanna do all the work. So, yeah. Your lead tomorrow."

"Suppose then we should be able to tell when tomorrow is," Michael noted, lips twisting into a frown once more. Adam gave nothing more than a small hum of agreement, and Michael spared him another glance before sighing and pushing himself up off of the swing, grabbing the chain to pull it to a stop. "One of us should be out there, anyway. In case…"

"Someone tries to approach us thinking we're a homeless hippie or something?" Adam finished with a very, very slight smirk finally appearing on his face as he rolled over again and peered up at Michael. "Good point, asshole. Welp, guess your shift starts early."

"Mm, guess so." Michael looked down at him, lips twitching slightly. After a moment, though, he stepped back. "You're always welcome to join me, though. You know, in case you get lonely," he added innocently, recalling the way Adam had practically lit up when he'd seen him enter the park. At this, however, the demon's eyes narrowed, and he looked about ready to jump up to defend himself before Michael raised his hands in an amused but placating gesture, stepping away. "Once again, Adam, teasing."

"Tease me again and I'll start plucking feathers," Adam warned, baring his teeth at the archangel. "Like a chicken, bitch."

Michael certainly wasn't intimidated, but he didn't know whether to laugh or be confused by that statement. _Like a chicken_? He questioned internally, with a tilt of his head, and Adam merely squinted at him, teeth still bared. Michael just hummed, almost thoughtfully, then dropped his hands and took another step back. "Message received. Offer still stands, though."

"I don't _get _lonely," Adam insisted indignantly, pushing himself to sit up and propping himself up on his hands as he eyed the archangel. "Don't you have to go keep watch or something? Go on, you-" He gestured with one hand, the other holding himself. "-Angelic guard dog, or whatever."

"Well, now I'm confused. Am I a dog or a chicken?" Michael frowned a little, almost genuinely puzzled by that. Adam gave him a flat look before just flopping backwards again and crossing his arms over his face, seemingly done with the entire conversation. Michael looked down at him for a moment, then sighed and looked away again. "Alright, then."

"Don't go chasing any squirrels, now," Adam called as Michael shut his eyes, bracing himself and surging back up to take control once again. He pushed them up once he had, glancing around. It seemed like Adam had just dumped them in the middle of the park - Michael hadn't really looked around too much before. He also noticed, inevitably, that they were wearing different clothes - kind of stylish, actually. Adam had chosen a dark red suit to change into, with the tag still on it; Michael sighed a little, twisting it off easily enough before pushing them to their feet once more. It'd probably look weird to humans if he just sat in the park all night…

_They're all asleep anyway, _Adam protested internally, and Michael raised an eyebrow, wandering over to one of the benches. _And we'll be out before they get here anyway, probably._

"Maybe," Michael allowed, sitting down on the bench and crossing one leg over the other. He leaned back, relaxing, and tilted his head back to stare up at the sky for a moment, eyebrows raising and pinching together silently. It had been a really long time, admittedly, since he'd seen the stars like this - and even then, he'd never been able to admire them from Heaven.

_I hope we find Lucifer soon, _Adam muttered, and Michael paused, frowning, as the demon got himself settled again. He took Michael up on his offer after a good few seconds - not that Michael was surprised - and joined him, taking half-control and tilting their head back to look toward the moon. "This whole search party thing is for the birds. Besides, sooner we find him, the sooner we can focus on finding Sam and Dean."

Michael paused, flicking their gaze over the moon quietly, taking in the stars surrounding it. "Adam-" He started, but he didn't quite finish. He knew Adam's anger toward the Winchesters went deeper than he could ever imagine. Even what he felt second-hand from the demon couldn't possibly measure up to the amount of hurt, and fury, and betrayal that was writhing around inside of him. But Michael knew, first-hand, how dangerous that anger really was. Of course it was okay to be angry, but…

… but if Michael had forgotten, and forgiven Lucifer sooner than he had, then maybe they wouldn't be in this mess.

"It's a different situation," Adam growled, dropping their gaze abruptly. He brought their arms up, wrapping around them, almost as if it were some kind of shield - some way to distance himself further. "They left me. Just like God left you. Lucifer didn't do anything like that - and he didn't make any promises he knew he wouldn't be able to keep. Or that he knew he just didn't care enough to follow up on." Silence followed, just for a few seconds, before Adam continued, "At least Lucifer never lied."

Michael fell silent, at that. Adam had a point. Sam and Dean were Adam's brothers, but it was a different situation. For a moment, he wondered if he'd ever be able to feel that kind of fury toward God - if he'd ever be able to think of himself highly enough to believe he hadn't gotten exactly what he deserved.

"Nobody deserves to be left like that," Adam muttered. "Not Luce, not me, and not you. No matter what you've done, that…" The demon trailed off, inhaling deeply, and turned their gaze back to the sky. "That's just… cruel. Completely, utterly cruel. You did everything God asked of you, and it still wasn't good enough. That doesn't mean there's something wrong with _you_, though. You follow the rules, you lose. You rebel, like Luce did, and you still lose. There's no winning with people like Him, and Sam, and Dean." He fell quiet for a moment. "... At the end of the day, they're all just the same. And guys like us, we're just the ones that have to deal with it."

Michael shifted a little, lightly moving one arm to rest it over the back of the bench. He was right, of course, for the most part - and while Michael wasn't quite sure where he stood on the revenge part of it, still, he knew that, regardless, he would support Adam. They'd come too far now for him not to, at least. And, he knew, Adam was the last one that deserved to be treated like that. To be left behind the way he had been. He'd had nothing to do with this before. He'd been happy.

He'd been pulled out of Heaven, only to be thrust into Hell. In so many ways, they were the same; And in so many ways, they were different. It just depended on how you looked at it.

"Yeah," Michael finally responded, a little quieter than before. "You're right."

"'Course I'm right," Adam sighed, eyebrows furrowing as he shifted, pulling their legs up onto the bench beside them and relaxed against the back once more, resting their chin on their arm. "... I've tried forgetting it, you know. Forgetting them. But it's just…" He trailed off, swallowed, and closed their eyes. "It's so… so damn hard, man."

"It's okay, Adam," Michael murmured. "Believe me, if anyone understands…" He sighed, leaving the sentence unfinished. "We're going to be alright, though," he added after a few moments. "Eventually. All of us." Adam gave nothing more than a hum of agreement, finally opening their eyes again to look back up at the sky. Michael fell silent, as well, after that, as Adam retracted his control and simply settled down with him to watch the stars.


	7. Chapter 7

By morning, as promised, they were back on the road.

Adam was settled, as content as he could be, while Michael took control headed them off on their way. They were both silent, but Adam was glad to note that the hollow feeling had disappeared, as if it had never been there in the first place. And, _oh_, how Adam would have loved to be naive, to pretend he didn't know why he had felt so hollow the day before, why he had felt so empty and more detached than usual. How he would have loved to pretend he had no idea why he suddenly felt whole again, as if part of him had been ripped away for just that brief amount of time, those few hours in a day when Michael had been away.

The demon hated himself, almost, for even considering the possibility. But he refused to think about it, he refused to press on it - last thing he wanted was for Michael to get any kinds of ideas, for him to start thinking that the demon was dependent on him, which _obviously _wasn't the case. Maybe he had just been bored, or annoyed at having to do most of the work by himself. But whatever the hell it was, it was over now, and Adam, for one, didn't want to waste his time on that particular bit of the past. This was the time to focus, now. Find Lucifer.

That was their main goal.

And, it would be running a bit smoother, if they could actually _track _him. He must have warded himself, or something. His energy wasn't usually this hard to pick out, and being stuck with him in the Cage for so long, Adam had grown quite accustomed to it. So this made absolutely no sense, unless he really had warded himself, tucked himself away, hidden - but while it made sense that he would be hiding from Michael, why would he ward himself against demons?

"Believe it or not, not even all demons like the Devil," Michael considered tentatively, biting their lip thoughtfully as they continued on. Adam mulled over that for a moment, squinting slightly. It wasn't like he knew much about the whole angel-demon-Devil thing, himself, anyway. The most he knew was what Lucifer and Michael told him; And both stories were reliable, on Adam's end. "Some of them might have grown accustomed to him being gone - and maybe even taken up control themselves. With Luci back, I can't imagine they're feeling too secure."

_And beyond that, Heaven's just a given,_ Adam noted with a frown. _Like, that's obvious enough… But if we can't track him, how are we supposed to find him? We can't exactly file a missing persons report for Beelzebub, you know what I'm saying? _At this, Michael huffed out a half-laugh, half-sigh, shaking their head a little bit.

"Why do you say the things you say?"

_Because I'm fucking hilarious, asshole. _

They were silent for a while, aside from their thoughts mixing - their own questions and concerns for Lucifer mingling together - _was he even okay? Was he on Earth? He couldn't be in Hell, but would he have gone to Heaven? He was alive, wasn't he? Had he been hurt? Hunted?_

The worst one, quite possibly, was the idea that Heaven had caught up to him. They both treaded carefully around that one, dodged and ducked and flat-out refused to prod. Even the idea, the simplest thought, gave them both enough pause to temporarily shut off their thoughts and just walk. After a while, Michael even ended up spreading his wings out, stretching them carefully and pushing them up into the air before continuing on, just to gain some speed.

Adam glanced around, frowning a little. They weren't flying that high - barely even inches above the ground, swerving around humans - but it quickly became clear to him that none of them could see them. They must be invisible, or some shit - otherwise, the demon knew, clearly, they would be staring, "ooh"ing and "ahh"ing over the sight. Testily, he reached out to touch a human as they passed - but Michael quickly retracted their arm before they could make contact, which ended up in a two-minute internal scolding from the archangel while the demon just snickered.

What could he say? A demon would be a demon. He'd be lying if he said it wasn't a little fun to fuck with unsuspecting humans; Even if he was saving his wrath for Sam and Dean, a few harmless pranks would do him some good, let loose some of that energy buzzing around inside of him. Besides, they were annoying - but, of course, Michael reminded him, they needed to focus. No time for playing games - and those humans hadn't done anything to either of them. Internally, Adam just rolled his eyes, while Michael gave a sigh and continued on. They were going to have some disagreements, of course, but the demon wasn't to keen on being told who he could fuck with and who he couldn't. _That _kind of irked him.

After a while, though, they began to notice the numbers steadily dwindling.

Fewer humans, fewer stores. Adam insisted on stopping every now and again for a shower somewhere - preferably a nice-looking hotel (of course, having no money, Adam kinda-sorta-maybe ended up kicking the door off its hinges) - and a change of clothes. So, naturally, he was the first one to notice the stores changing into gas stations, gas stations changing into old, rickety sheds and carports, and then an abandoned street.

"There's some kind of town up ahead," Michael commented as they landed, focusing on a sign at the side of the road - the first thing other than speed limits and traffic lights. It was a welcome sign, but the words were faded beyond recognition, and Adam didn't take the time to decipher it. Michael seemed more worried about his wings - they had been dropping a little, every so often, as if the oversized feather-dusters were giving in on him at random moments for whatever reason. Adam was almost concerned - not that he'd admit that - but he decided to focus his attention ahead instead. A town - while the idea of interacting with people again wasn't exactly pleasant, there was a good chance that this town would have a hotel, and he needed a shower.

Michael folded his wings back, quite obviously miffed about something, and started walking. Adam only held out for about a minute or so - but, the point is that he tried. Sighing, the demon made his way forward again, taking half control once more. "Alright, what's the deal, halo?" He asked, putting as much irritation into the words as he could. I mean, of course he was irritated - but he was also concerned. But he didn't want to acknowledge that.

"Wings," Michael explained absently, chewing on the inside of their cheek with a very small frown written across their face now. Adam squinted slightly, as Michael continued, "I don't know. It's probably because I'm not at full power, I guess? I think I'm wasting more and more juice by flying, so I think I'm gonna… walk…" Michael slowed a little, not quite stopping, but he seemed hesitant to go further. "... Something doesn't feel right."

Adam opened their mouth, ready to respond, but paused. He felt it too - or, rather, sensed it. Frowning now, the demon snapped their mouth shut and looked up, toward the sky - just for a split second, but that one glimpse was all they needed. An orange streak of light - seemingly coming from nowhere - shot into the sky and down again. And it was immediately followed by another, and another. It reminded Adam of the thing that had almost hit him before.

"What _thing_?" Michael demanded, his tone a little strange now - fiery, almost, in a way Adam didn't really recognize from him. There was also a certain flare rising up in their chest, coming from him. A cold, yet burning sensation, like anger, but warmer. Adam narrowed their eyes, but he shook the thought off, simply bringing up the memory for the archangel to look through while he continued to stare at the sky, scrutinizing every streak from the sky that he could focus on.

It was a vague recollection, the energy he was sensing from them, but he almost knew where they were coming from. It was right there, on the tip of his tongue - what they were, and what they were doing. And, pressing further, everything suddenly unraveled; They both realized it, at the same time. The Cage opening made a little more sense; The emptiness of Hell; The souls gone, demons retreated; Somehow, some way, the gates of Hell had been opened.

"Souls," Michael gasped out, and Adam just gaped at the sky, somewhat mesmerized by the streaks flying overhead. "I don't understand- but- how?"

"That's the big question, isn't it?" Adam questioned numbly, still just staring in shock. They were moving again - which one was moving them was beyond him, but they were moving - and Adam almost reached up, as if he could touch the souls streaking through the sky. They looked so dark, so tainted - Adam almost shuddered. It reminded him of when his own soul had been twisted, darkened beyond recognition or repair… "You think… Luce?"

Michael hesitated, head tilted upwards as they walked. He was less fascinated than Adam, much more concerned - kind of leveling out Adam's awe with uncertainty. "Let's say that Luci does have that kind of power…" The archangel finally spoke, sounding uneasy. "But, if that's the case, then- _why_? What would he have to gain from this?"

"Chaos," Adam mumbled, quirking an eyebrow, and Michael inhaled slowly, holding his breath. Truthfully, the demon wasn't sure what the archangel was expecting to _get _when they found Lucifer. He seemed a little high on morals now, for whatever reason - but this was the Devil they were talking about. Did Michael really expect him not to be causing some kind of trouble? Some kind of life-shattering, Earth-stopping event just because he could? Just for the _fun _of it? "Since when does Lucifer ever have a reason to do the things he does?" The demon added, though he didn't need to; Michael was thinking the same thing now. "He's Satan. He does…"

"... what he wants," Michael mumbled, and Adam could practically feel their heart dropping to their stomach from his end. The demon sighed, resisting the urge to roll their eyes, and fell completely silent after that, lost in thought as he watched the sky. Honestly, the closer they got, the weirder it became. Part of him wondered what it was like, flying about up there-

_Zap._

With a shriek, Adam jumped backwards. First of all - that had _hurt_, like an electrifying shock through his entire body. Michael seemed unharmed, but definitely worried; A burst of concerned questions echoed through his mind and, while uncomfortably warmed by it, Adam did his best to shut the archangel out for a second, staring ahead in complete confusion. _That _was something he hadn't felt before. He felt like he was on fire from the outside - just burning. And it took a while for that feeling to fade.

"Are you okay?" Michael demanded, sounding breathless - Adam realized he had been holding their breath without meaning to, not that it made much of a difference to either of them - but that anger-but-warmer feeling was back, pounding in their chest from Michael's end even harder than before. "Does it still hurt?"

"Barely," Adam finally responded, brushing the front of his suit off with a very faint frown. "Don't know what the Hell that was, but…" The demon shook his head, still a little irked - and, to be honest, a little hesitant to continue after that. Michael seemed even more reluctant, but Adam stifled his internal concerns quickly. "Seriously, halo, I'm good. Nothing worse than what your brother ever did," he snapped, quieting the archangel rather quickly.

And, sighing, he took a deep breath in and started to move them forward again - only to jerk back, with less of a shriek and more of a hiss, when it happened yet again. This time, though, the air in front of them rippled; Adam went still, and Michael's concern quickly shifted into confusion as they both leaned back at once.

"Oh, you gotta be shitting me," Adam finally spoke, pissed, while Michael carefully raised a hand and pressed it forward. The demon snarled - audibly - the second they made contact, but the burning feeling was easier to handle with Michael in control of the movement. To his credit, the archangel pulled back the second he made the sound - but not before he caused another ripple.

"Salt line," Michael said decisively, bemused. Adam wrinkled his nose, confused, and Michael clarified, "it repels demons, ghosts… Common thing with hunters." He ignored Adam's unspoken _ew_, stepping back a little and looking up and down, then side to side, as if trying to figure out how far the salt line spread. Adam just stared ahead, frowning. Part of him took immense offense to this whole salt line thing, especially considering it was keeping them from where they needed to go, but he didn't say anything else after that.

"There's gotta be a way around it," the archangel mumbled, reaching out again testily, prodding the air. Once more, it rippled, as Michael pressed their hand against a seemingly flat, invisible surface. Somewhat of a forcefield, Adam noticed, growing _increasingly _pissed off. "Must be hunters nearby," Michael added, almost casually, but judging by the uncertainty churning in his chest now, he knew he was treading on thin ice. Thin. Fucking. Ice.

"That's it, let's j-"

Adam paused, head twitching, and turned slightly. Footsteps - distinct, quiet, but enough for him to be able to pick up on. Michael must have heard it, too - and they both definitely heard the soft _click _of a gun, because both of them stiffened the second the sound reached their ears.

Their nose twitched, and a stream of curses escaped Michael - internally - before they were abruptly pulled down. The archangel ducked them just in time, just as a gunshot rang out. Whatever it was - Adam smelled salt as it flew over their heads, which made him recoil a little more on instinct - shot straight past them, through the invisible barrier, and Michael let out a quiet, relieved-sounding sigh. _You okay?_

_I'm about to rip a hunter's throat out, _Adam vowed internally, hands practically shaking with rage as he pushed them to stand again, Michael's warnings be damned. _We just got assaulted. With salt. I'm fucking chopping heads. Drop the invisibility, or whatever, I wanna do this face to f-_

His thoughts cut to a complete stop as he turned. Hell, everything seemed to stop. Everything froze. Even the fury fizzled away, quicker than it ever had before, leaving absolutely nothing behind. Really, no, he felt numb - aside from the first few seconds, where his heart stopped with one last, violent, breathtaking _jerk_, and then everything was still.

Adam twitched once, visibly, before straightening and backing away, eyes focused on the man he was facing. The blonde-haired, green-eyed, angry-faced man who suddenly jerked back - implying that Michael had actually listened to him, and they were visible to the human eye once more - as if he was looking straight at a ghost. And then the man was backing away, too, mouth opening but no sound coming out.

"Dean Winchester…" That was Michael speaking, voice surprisingly unsteady, echoing all of the uncertainty radiating from him at the moment - which seemed to be the only emotion driving either of them right then, because Adam still couldn't seem to make himself feel a damn thing… Even as the archangel spoke his brother's name, there was _nothing_, and it was somehow more unnerving than the rage he usually felt - the rage he _should _be feeling.

Dean set his jaw, green eyes flaring up slightly with anger once more, but there was also an intense uncertainty in his expression, one that echoed Michael's, and yet stronger, tainted with… fear. "The one and only," he responded, unwaveringly, but the way he was white-knuckling his shotgun was enough to let Adam know that he certainly wasn't feeling as brave as he was trying to act right then.

There it was. A small spark of fury. Indignation, really. Adam's eyes sharpened, as they stepped back again - Michael's doing now, as if he was trying to distance the two of them - but the demon didn't care. He didn't move, anyway - he felt frozen where he stood, regardless. Paralyzed. But, somehow, he found the strength to speak, finishing Michael's sentence with a much colder, sharper edge to the words than the archangel had intended. "We meet again…"


	8. Chapter 8

Michael knew, if he wasn't careful about this, that this situation could very, very easily spiral into something dangerous, and violent, and quite possibly bloody. So it was taking almost everything he had to keep himself in control for the most part, not wanting to completely overpower Adam, but wanting to be able to stop him if he made a move for Dean. The lack of emotion on the demon's end was more concerning than anything, and the archangel genuinely wished he had enough juice to be able to teleport, because he wanted to get Adam the hell out of there. Forget Dean - what this might be doing to Adam, emotionally, was worse than anything.

He took another step back when the anger finally began to flare - but he hesitated in his retreat, not wanting to back into the barrier and cause Adam any more harm. The demon simply continued to stare at his brother, almost willing the anger to return at full force, while Michael, himself, was praying, internally, that he would be able to keep his cool long enough for them to leave. He didn't want to deprive Adam of justice, but he also didn't want Adam to end up doing anything that he might end up regretting later. Hating himself for, even.

"I knew it was only a matter of time before…" Dean's voice drew Michael from his thoughts, and Adam visibly shook as his brother spoke. Something hot and heavy was weighing down on their chest from the demon's end, something close to the anger he was used to, but somehow deeper than that. It was something _hurt_, as well as pissed, and the demon withdrew a bit as they both acknowledged this. Dean scrutinized them carefully, his expression guarded, silent.

Michael hated that - not being able to tell what someone else was feeling. Granted, after spending so much time with Adam, it was usually as easy as simply being able to feel it himself; He couldn't do that, with Dean. He didn't know what the hunter was thinking. What he might be about to do, or say, or what emotions were driving him at that point.

It was frustrating.

Finally, Adam worked up the nerve to step forward; Dean tensed the second they moved, and Michael inhaled sharply as he fought to steady them again, pushing Adam back a little and taking a few steps away to distance them again. "No…" He started, quiet and soothing.

Dean's eyebrows furrowed, uncomprehending. Michael grimaced a little, jaw clicking slightly as they set their jaw, and the archangel let his gaze flicker briefly to Dean's before he ripped it away again. Adam was silent, surprisingly and yet unsurprisingly - on one end, Michael had expected some extreme profanity from the demon. And on the other… Adam most likely had more to do than he had to say when it came to the Winchesters.

"You son of a bitch…" Adam finally mumbled, seeming reluctant to do so. His voice was steady enough, but Michael could still feel the hurt, angry, fire pulsing at the surface, ready to break loose at one wrong move from any of them. "You son of a _bitch_," the demon repeated, teeth clenching together as their eyes rose to Dean's once more. "I oughta rip you _limb from limb_."

Dean didn't move, not an inch - Michael almost admired his bravery - but his face drained completely of whatever color was left, and his mouth twisted, muscles in his jaw tensing. He opened his mouth, but the second he did, that rush of anger finally seemed to flare up.

"Adam-" Michael groaned, fighting back a snarl as the demon attempted to push his way forward, ready to lunge for the hunter. The archangel stumbled back as far as possible, reaching backwards slightly to feel for the barrier so he didn't back into it completely. Dean's expression seemed to change, considerably, at the sound of Adam's name - something both the archangel and the demon seemed to notice, but it didn't seem to be enough to stifle the latter's fury.

"_Adam_?" Dean demanded, his tone suddenly a little stronger, a little braver. He even dared a step forward, and Michael's defense crumbled briefly as Adam made another attempt at shoving him down, anger rising rapidly. "Adam- hey- are you in there? Can you hear me?"

The struggles quieted for a second, and Michael hesitated, but didn't falter, just in case the demon tried to take him by surprise. The fury seemed to be growing with each passing second, each word Dean spoke - but, thankfully, the hunter's question stifled the demon's fight for control as they just stared at him, disbelieving on Adam's end and worried on Michael's.

"What the hell are you doing to him?" Dean seethed, grip tightening even further on the shotgun. He braved yet another step forward, and Michael flinched, tensing - but Adam was still, now, silent, watching. "Adam," the hunter tried again, locking eyes with them briefly, searching. "Adam, it's Dean."

The realization hit them both at the same time, and Adam recoiled, letting Michael take the rest of whatever control he'd had left. The archangel paused, glancing away from Dean for a second; A retreat was the last thing he'd expected from Adam's end, considering how angry he had been - and how angry he still was. But there was something else, now, something that Michael couldn't quite place. Disbelief, almost, but stronger.

Because, of course, Dean would think that Adam was in some kind of trouble. Still _stuck _with Michael, trapped beyond his own control. The thought made the archangel's stomach twist uncomfortably - and something cold and defensive rose up in their chest in response, Adam's unspoken, irritated way of reassuring the archangel that he was exactly where he wanted to be.

Finally, the archangel forced himself to respond, letting some of his defense slip just a little. Adam didn't make a grab for the control, simply staying still and silent, watching and listening. "He knows… who you are," Michael said carefully, and Dean's eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm not doing anything to him-"

"Yeah? Why the hell should I believe you, asshole?" Dean snarled. Michael paused, blinking at the hunter. In any other situation, he might have snapped back - but he didn't even get _angry_ at the interruption, the blatant disrespect. If anything, some part of him was almost aching for it.

Unfortunately, that was one of the strings, for Adam, and Dean had just cut it. The demon rose up, pushing Michael down in the process - somewhat unintentionally in his haste to retake control - and before the archangel could react, the demon was storming forward. "_Hey_," he growled, ignoring Michael's internal protests as he scrambled to reign Adam back in. "_Nobody _calls Michael an _asshole _but _me_, you-"

"Adam- _Adam_\- Stop-" Michael cautioned, cutting off whatever Adam was about to say - Michael would have bet anything that it would be more profanity - and reeling them backwards a few steps. Dean, to his credit, hadn't even moved, but his pupils had shrunk considerably in size and he was now staring at them as if they had grown a second head.

With one last snarl, Adam relented, but he didn't surrender the rest of his control. Michael hesitated, but ultimately allowed it; As long as he wasn't actively trying to rip Dean apart limb from limb, as he had threatened, then there was nothing wrong with it - mind you, he stayed cautious. The demon did continue, though, spitting at Dean, "fuckin' dick…"

Now that the realization had seemingly set in, Dean looked even more bewildered. "Adam?"

"In the flesh," Adam sneered, and Michael fell silent, glancing at Dean as the two interacted. The demon's anger hadn't faded a bit, but he didn't seem particularly murderous. Besides, maybe talking things out with Dean would do them some good - provided, Adam actually listened- "Shut up, Michael."

"I didn't say anything," Michael protested right back, and Dean visibly hesitated, looking them over carefully. He looked even more confused, now, the two of them talking back and forth to each other from the same mouth - so the archangel made a mental note to keep his responses to Adam internal, as much as he possibly could. He hadn't really considered the idea that they pretty much looked like one person just talking to himself…

"How are you- what…" Dean took a deep breath, holding it for a good few seconds, before letting it out slowly. Michael turned his focus back to the hunter, while Adam's had never quite left. "You're okay, with…" The hunter gestured slightly.

"What, with Michael?" Adam finished scathingly, eyes narrowing to slits at his brother. "Oh, sure. At least, that is to say, I don't want to rip his throat out." A snarl built in their throat, and Michael rose up a little bit more, fully prepared to take control again. "_You_, on the other hand…" The demon let his words trail off, but their lips twitched, curling back slightly as Adam bared their teeth at the hunter, finally causing Dean to step back - more out of surprise than fear.

"What did I do?" Dean demanded, genuine confusion written across his face. Adam stilled, and Michael decided that this was as good a time as any to strengthen his grip just a little bit, because that question, if nothing else, would most certainly be enough to set him off.

"What did you do?" Adam hissed, maintaining enough control to respond, himself. Michael was just relieved he seemed to have enough sense not to try to move forward, even now, but he could tell that the demon was still close enough. "_What did you do_? You _left me in Hell!"_

It was Dean's turn to stiffen, now. The confusion fizzled out, replaced by guilt - finally, an emotion Michael could actually register, and understand. For a moment, he almost sympathized with the hunter - but, regardless, he stood by Adam. It was wrong, how the Winchesters had done him, leaving him to rot like that. But this wasn't about how he felt toward them; It was about how Adam felt toward them. And, if he wasn't so worried that Adam might end up regretting doing so later on, Michael honestly would have let him pulverize them.

"Listen…" Dean finally lowered the shotgun completely, as if the threat had passed - Michael snorted, internally, because it most certainly hadn't. The archangel could hold Adam off for now, sure, but he still wasn't exactly at full strength. If Adam wanted to, badly enough, he could overpower the archangel with ease, with enough of a fight. "I'm sorry, I really-"

"Sorry?" Adam echoed, his voice raising slightly now as his fury grew. Michael grimaced, anxiety bubbling in his chest as he struggled to keep a hold on the demon. Dean really sucked at this… "You- You and your _brother _left me to rot in Hell for _ten fucking years _and you're just _sorry_?"

"Me and Sam- we tried, man, we did," Dean insisted, raising one hand slightly, almost defensively. He stepped forward, just a little bit. But, to Michael's surprise, it was Adam who pulled them back, taking a few steps back, away from Dean, as his glare sharpened.

"You didn't _try _hard enough, did you?" The demon hissed, and the anger gave away to that hurt, fiery feeling again. Michael frowned a little bit, exhaling. He couldn't even imagine the emotional toll this was taking on Adam. He knew that the demon was angry, obviously enough, but aside from that - the hurt, the betrayal. Michael couldn't even handle it, and he was practically experiencing it second-hand. "You gave up, _didn't you_? You wouldn't have given up if it was Sam." Adam quieted, just for a second. "You _didn't _give up when it was Sam."

The guilt flickering through Dean's eyes intensified, and through that small, spark of sympathy, Michael almost thought _good_. Good, because of all the pain that he had inflicted on Adam, intentionally or otherwise. "I know, I can't make any excuses-"

"You're damn right you can't," Adam growled.

"-but I'm _sorry_," Dean insisted, searching their eyes carefully. They narrowed, in response, but Adam didn't say anything else. "I really am."

Silence. The demon was quiet, now, to Michael's surprise. Even more surprising, was the fact that he was actually thinking Dean's words over, replaying them in their head, silent and considering as he stared at his brother. Michael struggled to keep his own thoughts silent, knowing that the demon just needed this moment, needed a second to get his own thoughts together, his feelings.

And then, finally, slowly, _astonishingly_, the anger fizzled out, bit by bit. But it was replaced, in an instant, by that building pressure on their chest, the burning, aching, _pain_. No anger, just pure pain, almost suffocating. Michael shuddered a little bit - or maybe it was Adam, even he didn't know - as the demon finally just shook their head and looked away from Dean. "It doesn't matter. Lucifer was right," the demon mumbled, almost to himself. "I'm blood. Not family."

Dean hesitated, opening his mouth to respond, but he couldn't seem to figure out anything else to say, because he snapped it shut almost as soon as he opened it, looking away, himself. Michael kept silent, at least until Adam suddenly retreated, retracting the rest of his control and retreating back into their mind, somewhat hesitantly, almost unsure.

"Adam…" Michael mumbled, and Dean's eyes flickered up at once, eyebrows raising slightly. He seemed to be on the defensive, now that Michael was the one speaking; Hell, he even raised the shotgun again - as if rock salt was going to do much against an archangel, really now - and took a few steps back, as if to counter his earlier approach. Michael just sighed a little, short and strained, and glanced up at Dean carefully. "He'll come around… probably."

"Uh huh." Dean studied him skeptically, cold and guarded once more, and Michael stifled another sigh. He hadn't even interacted with the hunter that much - despite the fact that Dean had been created, specifically, for him. To be his true vessel-

A familiar rush of anxiety hit him, from Adam's side, as the thought crossed his mind. As much as Michael wanted to retreat with the demon, he knew he had to deal with the hunter first.

-but, anyway, despite their short interactions, there was something deeper, simmering on the surface, of how Dean was acting towards him now. Something close to fear, not just the wariness he had displayed slightly during their short talks. Michael's eyes narrowed faintly, considering that, and let his gaze flicker back up to Dean for a moment as he studied the hunter.

A part of him considered asking him about Lucifer, but the archangel refrained from doing so, just in case they were already on the hunt for his brother. Even if Lucifer was the cause of Hell's gates suddenly coming open - maybe there was a logical reason, a good explanation on his brother's behalf. Michael wasn't sure, he wasn't _sure _of much these days, but he knew he wanted to, at least, give Lucifer half a chance. Benefit of the doubt. Hear him out, before he turned against him. He had made that mistake once, and it had cost him - literally - everything. But, with that in mind, he had to wonder what the hunter _did _know…

"Dean?"

Ah, that voice was familiar. Michael looked up, as Dean turned his head, but kept himself facing the archangel, still not quite trusting him - not that Michael didn't understand - as a vaguely familiar face came into view. Sam Winchester. The hunter had his mouth open, shotgun in hand, ready to say more to his brother - only to stop short, wide-eyed, as his hazel eyes focused on Michael.

There was a flicker, a rush of fury from Adam, before it disappeared again. The demon stayed back, still just lingering in the back of their mind, probably back in their safe place. Michael relaxed, glad to know that he wouldn't have to keep the demon back again, but concerned by the distance he was keeping, now, the pain swirling in his chest.

His attention was drawn from both brothers, however, when another figure emerged. This one was more easily recognizable - not the vessel, but the true form of the angel who had followed the taller hunter out. Like Sam, Castiel visibly stiffened the second he saw Michael, and, like Sam, he only stared, blue eyes wide, alarm written across his face.

Michael inhaled slowly, glancing between them. Ultimately, however, his gaze settled on Castiel. His brother; One of the many siblings he had let down, in more ways than one. The archangel grimaced, taking a step back - just to show them all that he truly meant no harm - and raised his hands in a half-placating, half-defensive gesture.

Clearly, explanations were required on both ends…

_Fuck._


	9. Chapter 9

Adam couldn't really tell how long he stayed cooped up in his own head, sitting in the park. He had retreated - not to the swings - but to the sandbox, seating himself on the edge and pulling his knees up to his chest, arms crossed over them, as he stared ahead blankly and _thought_. He knew Michael wouldn't let him get close enough to Dean to be able to hurt him, so he couldn't be out there with them. Every part of him ached to attack, not even to kill, but to _hurt_. To inflict pain, as much as possible. He wanted Dean to hurt the way he had. He wanted Sam to hurt the way he had. He wanted them to drown in the pain, he wanted it to suffocate them, he wanted to bring them to the brink of death, the very _brink - _and then leave them to suffer.

Something hot and wet built up at the corners of his eyes, and his face screwed up, eyes squeezing shut, scrunching up as he struggled to keep the tears back. He hadn't cried in so long, now, it felt like. Certainly not since his Transformation. And to cry now - over Sam and Dean, people he hardly knew, people who had abandoned him - would be… _weak_.

But even Adam couldn't stifle the heaviness building in his chest. It needed a release of some sort, and the demon didn't know what else to do. He couldn't release it the way he wanted to, Michael wouldn't let him; But, again, crying would be weak. Crying would be giving in to the horrible, twisting pain that had been building up for so long, the pain he'd been able to bury underneath years and years worth of anger and betrayal and the promise of revenge. And now, now that he was so _close _to the revenge he'd ached for, the revenge that had kept him going- it was ripped away from him just as easily, and he was _lost_.

The demon let out a shuddering sigh and buried his face into his knees, bringing his arms up over his head. Michael's concern didn't go unnoticed - and, while in some way, some part of Adam appreciated it, he also despised the archangel, loathed him, even, for denying him this. The closure, the justice, the _revenge _that he wanted - no, that he _needed_ \- now that it was just within reach. What good would it do for Michael, keeping Dean alive, anyway? And Sam, Sam had been the one that had landed them in the Cage! What the hell did it matter to _Michael?_

He must have sat there for hours, but even he wasn't sure. He still had an oddly warped sense of time, Hell had left him so scrambled on that particular aspect. He kept himself aware enough to know that Michael had ended up following them back to wherever they were staying - he had questioned them on the souls, and Sam and Dean had decided that it would be much easier to just bring them back to explain. Castiel was quiet, Adam hardly noticed him - but he did, only because Michael seemed particularly unnerved by his presence, and even when Adam was pissed as hell at him, he couldn't stifle the protectiveness he felt over the archangel.

On the way, Michael had retreated. Enough to be aware of what he was doing on the outside, walking along with Sam, Dean and Castiel, and enough to pull himself into the memory along with Adam, as well. The demon scowled a little when he appeared, mostly just to emphasize that, yes, he was still pissed off, but Michael didn't seem to care about that. Walking over, there was nothing but concern written across the archangel's features. A sickening amount.

"Adam…" Michael started, quiet and hesitant, as he settled himself down beside the demon and folded his hands in his lap. Adam spared him a glare out of the corners of his eyes, which were still blurry with the few tears that had welled up, but hadn't escaped. He reached one hand up, pressing his fingers into his eyesockets and drawing them together toward the bridge of his nose, easily clearing away the tears. "You're not a murderer."

"I'm a demon," Adam mumbled, rolling his eyes and looking away again. Michael sighed, about to say something, but the demon beat him to it before he could. "I just- I don't- they make me so _mad_, Michael, I just want to- _ugh_." He looked down, curling his hands into fists, hard enough to the point where his knuckles turned white. In response, Michael reached out, placing one hand over both of the demon's. Adam looked up, at this, the contact making him stiffen at once.

"I can't imagine…" Michael faltered, just for a second, seeming to hesitate. Adam just stared at him, already knowing what he was going to say, and why he had paused. He could imagine what it felt like to be left behind. He had been, too. The only difference was that he wasn't as angry about it as Adam was. Hell, maybe because Adam had enough anger for the both of them… The thought made Michael's lips twitch, bringing his attention back to Adam once more. "Yeah. Maybe," he echoed the demon's thoughts quietly, then took a deep breath. "Regardless, I can't imagine the… the anger you're feeling, Adam. But I made a mistake… with my brother."

Ah, yeah, that. The amount of guilt Michael felt when it came to Lucifer was… well, it was sickening, too. Adam sighed and glanced away, shaking his head. But it was _different_. Because Sam and Dean would have deserved it, what they got, if Adam could just get close enough to…

"I thought Lucifer deserved to be cast into- into Hell, Adam," Michael said quietly, and swallowed, as he continued, "and I was wrong about that. So, _so_ wrong." Adam didn't respond, so after a brief moment of hesitation, Michael squeezed his hands gently before pulling away. The demon just stared down, his hands still tingling from the contact - both hating it and aching for more at the exact same time. "Listen…" Michael trailed off. "We're going-"

"With them, I know," Adam interrupted, a little sharper than he'd intended. Michael didn't flinch, but he did glance away, just for a second. The demon spared a glance upwards, then looked away again himself, bringing his arms up to wrap around himself with a sigh. Sure, he felt bad - he constantly felt bad, for snapping at the archangel, but that never stopped him from doing it again and again, and it certainly wasn't enough for him to apologize. "I know," he repeated, only a little calmer. "I don't really understand why, but… fuck, man, I don't care. I just- I wanna find Luce."

"I know. Me too." Michael went silent for a moment, lost in thought, and Adam shut his eyes. Only to open them again when, slowly, tentatively, Michael reached out and put a hand over Adam's shoulder, giving a small squeeze. "If Lucifer's involved with the gates and the Cage opening, then the Winchesters probably know something. Looks like they've been at this for a while." He leaned forward, trying to catch Adam's gaze, but the demon simply stared at the hand the archangel had pressed to his shoulder. "We'll only stay long enough to figure out what's going on, and then we're back to searching. Figuring out the details will help us more in the long run, you know?"

"Whatever, halo."

Michael hesitated slightly, not moving his hand, but his grip seemed a little softer now, uncertain. "... if you want to leave, we w-"

"Michael, it's _fine_," Adam insisted, finally risking a glance up at him. The archangel looked exhausted, somehow already having worn himself out. That burning, fiery protectiveness was back, worming its way up to the demon's chest. No matter how he felt about Sam and Dean… he hated them less than… however he felt about Michael. Even if he wasn't willing to admit that, to the archangel or to himself. "Details, and whatever- sure. I won't kill anyone, if that's what you're worried about. I have a little more self-restraint than that."

Michael nodded a little, looking relieved. Adam just stared at him for a moment, thinking. They both could use a rest, to be honest; Michael was stressed, yet again, and Adam… was slowly burning out. There was no real way to release his anger - not one that Michael would approve of or allow him to - and, yet, the conversation with Dean, being able to just say what he'd wanted to say to his brothers for years - it was almost enough, _almost _satisfying.

A part of him acknowledged that, maybe, Michael was right for once, and maybe it would be a little better to just talk it out with them. The rest of him shoved that thought way down, because the last thing he wanted was to have to push through a normal conversation with the Winchesters. He still hated them, and he couldn't see that changing in the future. But, regardless, Michael was right; If they knew anything about Lucifer, at all, it would be helpful. Because even they had to know a _little _bit more than Michael and Adam did at the moment.

"I'm sorry." Michael went quiet for a moment. Adam spared him a glance, eyebrows raising slightly at the apology, before the archangel continued. "I know how much you're hurting. But I can tell you that this… revenge… none of it's going to make it better. It's not going to make you hate them any less." He glanced up at the demon. "I don't want you to make the same mistakes that I did, Adam, you're much better than that."

Adam blinked, his breath catching for just a second as he stared at the archangel. There was no irritation, no urge to snap in response, but he couldn't seem to find the drive to say anything else. That heaviness in his chest was back, but it was a little different this time - stronger, less hurt and more despaired. But it made him feel weak all the same.

He didn't respond, not really sure how to. But he finally relaxed under the archangel's touch, his anger for Michael vanishing in an instant.

And that was just that; No matter what it was about, or why, or who, the archangel seemed to always find a way to diminish the fury with nothing more than a look, a word, a touch. Even when Adam was pissed off at him, he found he could never stay pissed for long. He could hold grudges like all hell, he could be angry at anybody else and stay that way forever; But with Michael, it was different, and he hated it. In so many ways, he hated it.

Adam shook his head a little, very nearly getting angry at _himself _over this, but Michael interrupted his internal scolding, glancing up. "I think we're here… some kind of school," the archangel mumbled, pulling his hand off of Adam's shoulder. The demon glanced over, part of him aching for the contact to return, aching to call Michael back as the archangel pushed himself up. The anxiety he had felt, at the beginning, when they had been ready to leave the Cage, returned, just for a second, as well. "Do you want to say here, or…?"

Shoving down the rest of the anxiety, the demon hesitated briefly before standing. Michael could keep him in line, and beyond that, it seemed as if all his motivation to hurt Sam and Dean had simply evaporated, anyway. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to force Michael to take full control now, not with how stressed he already was and how exhausted he seemed. A break would be good for both of them, it had been a while since they'd been able to stop, but for now, sharing control was their best bet. "Sure… I'm punching the angel."

Michael rolled his eyes, lips twitching slightly despite himself. "Yeah, you do that, get smited. I can't protect you from him," he warned, "he's just a little bit stronger than me at the moment." Adam arched an eyebrow at that, giving the archangel a curious look. _I can't protect you from him. _As if the demon would _need _protecting-

"He's a seraph, at the moment, Adam. They're very powerful. And I'm not at full strength," Michael reminded the demon, almost looking amused for a second.

"Mm…" Adam trailed off, considering that, then sighed. Okay, so, punching the dickhead angel was out… "Fine, whatever," the demon finally mumbled, shaking his head a little. "Come on." Michael only nodded, continuing to study him for a moment - if Adam didn't know any better, he'd almost bet that the archangel was checking to see if he was stable enough - before finally rising back up to take control again. After a moment, staring at where the archangel had been standing, Adam followed suit, bringing himself forward to take half control as they were led toward the building ahead.

Adam stopped them short, at once, upon seeing _children _outside. They were running around, playing in the grass, a few adults standing nearby to watch them carefully - hunters, it seemed like, as they were both holding guns. The demon wrinkled his nose a little bit. "Ew…"

Dean stopped walking and turned, bewildered, while both Sam and Castiel slowed to a stop just beside the demon, who shuffled a few steps back, uncomfortable with being so close - especially to Sam, in particular, who, now that he was looking at, he really wanted to punch.

_Easy_, Michael reminded him, and Adam resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He continued forward, ignoring Dean's confused "what?" and the looks exchanged between Castiel and Sam. He veered them sharply around the children - sneering slightly at one as he passed - and headed inside with a small scowl written across their face. _You're so mean to those tiny humans… _Michael complained internally, _they're adorable._

"_Really_?" Adam questioned incredulously - maybe a little bit too loud. A few people inside turned to look; the demon simply gave most of them the death stare - but his gaze caught onto one being in particular. At first glance, he seemed normal, just kinda standing there, leaning against the wall. At a second glance, though, something was definitely off about him. His eyes were covered by sunglasses - even though he was inside - but the outer edges were slightly visible. And with the archangel and the demon's keen senses combined, looking closer, the skin around the shades seemed… burnt, almost.

_That's definitely not a human, _Michael mumbled. Adam's eyebrows furrowed slightly, simply continuing to stare. _Not a ghost, either, though. Or an angel._

_Demon? _Adam suggested internally, and after a moment of staring, and a while of consideration, Michael gave an unspoken but reluctant agreement, as if he wasn't too sure. Adam simply continued to stare, flicking his eyes over the figure, until the others finally caught up to them. Castiel split from the group at once, leaving Dean and Sam with Adam as he headed straight to a red-headed woman in the corner, currently flipping through a book.

"Uh, just…" Sam slowed to a stop beside Adam, as Dean headed in the other direction, disappearing into a room. The demon glanced up, reluctantly tearing his gaze off of the maybe-demon, and took a few steps away from Sam. The hunter glanced at him, frowning. "Hang out here for a while, I guess. I gotta talk to Dean, but…" He gestured, his hesitant gaze lingering on them, before he took a few steps back and managed an awkward smile.

Adam waited for the anger, but there was none. Just a slight pulse of irritation. Which was most certainly odd, because Sam had been the one he had been _most _pissed off at. "Mhm," he responded and, after another moment of hesitation, Sam took a step back and followed after Dean. _So much for getting answers, eh, Mikey?_

_They're probably debating on how much to tell us, _Michael considered, though he didn't seem too pleased about that. _Regardless, we're here… So, we might as well stick around and try and figure out what they know. _The archangel paused, returning their gaze to the maybe-demon, who was now flipping through some kind of magazine. … _He doesn't feel like a demon._

_Whattya mean? _Adam squinted a little, confused, as he glanced the guy up and down.

_I don't know. It's weird. He's powerful- in a way that most demons aren't. Even the higher ones, like the Princes and the Knights… they don't have the kind of power I'm sensing from this one. _Michael was silent for a while, and Adam frowned, taking a moment to consider that. _But I don't know what else he could be. Who knows, maybe they've gotten stronger…_

_We've been down below for a long time, _Adam relented, _a lot's probably changed. Even the monsters. Maybe demons got more powerful, or something._

_Maybe._

_It's not our problem, Michael, _Adam reminded him, sighing. _Seriously, just give it a rest._

_I know. I know. _Still, Michael's gaze lingered longer than necessary; After a while, it was Adam who forced them to look away, shaking their head a little bit and leaning them back against the wall. It was a good opportunity for them both to rest, at least. As long as no children came up to them, Adam was perfectly fine with the arrangement; Sam and Dean were in another room, Castiel was practically unnoticeable, and the only unnerving thing was the maybe-demon wearing sunglasses indoors. A rest was most certainly welcome now.

… _you wanna get a shower first? _Michael questioned suddenly, and Adam's gaze flickered up. It was a high school - granted most schools had crappy shower rooms, but he'd take what he could get. A shower sounded even better than a rest, to be completely honest. _Yeah, I thought so, _the archangel murmured, amused. _I'll let you do that, then. Meet'cha in the park when you're done._

_Yeah, you got it, asshole. _Adam shouldered himself away from the wall, and Michael withdrew the rest of his control, retreating completely to the back of their mind. The demon paused, sparing one last glance toward the maybe-demon, before heading off.

It wasn't a permanent arrangement - and thank God for that - but it was a little easier than what they had going on. All things considered. Even his good-for-nothing brothers.

Regardless, Adam just hoped they'd find Lucifer soon, because even this was starting to become far too much…


	10. Chapter 10

Solitude.

Michael had grown to enjoy it more than he'd expected to. His time in the Cage, of course, had probably influenced that more than anything; Being isolated for so long, it would take a while for the idea of actually being _social _again to seem… well, to seem real. And, if Michael was being honest, most of this felt completely surreal anyway. Not quite like a dream, but not at all like the reality he had been used to. His world had flipped, and it was only flipping even further, and he was grasping at whatever he possibly could to keep him _steady_, something a little more stable than what he had now. It was no surprise that he would lean on Adam for support - the demon, with all his fury, was still slightly more stable than Michael, who constantly felt about to shatter and break apart at the smallest pressure. The only reason he hadn't…

Well, he could thank Adam for most of that. The demon kept him going, for the most part. But, beyond that - finding Lucifer, the thought of seeing his brother again, is what kept him moving further. It was _something_, a plan, a _purpose_, something that Michael had been completely stripped of the moment he had fallen into the Cage. The archangel didn't have many reasons, anymore, to keep going. Adam and Lucifer were the only things that motivated him now.

Regardless, it wasn't fair of him to rely on Adam as much as he did, and he hated that he did - because the demon had his own issues to deal with. Michael tried to keep to himself, as much as was possible, but Adam knew him, inside and out. His insistance on the archangel giving himself a break was… well, it was certainly welcome, and Michael was grateful, but he still detested the fact that the demon was worrying more about him, in his own way, than he was himself. Michael just didn't feel worth it.

The archangel sighed as he rolled them over, crossing his arms under his head. They had made their way to a small room - one Adam had identified as a "nurse's office" upon entering - and were laid back on a long blue cot. The room was cold, not that either of them were particularly bothered - Adam seemed to enjoy it a little, in fact, and Michael remained more or less indifferent. But, the demon had decided not to retreat to the park this time, enjoying the cold too much to do so, and Michael had been more than happy to stay in control along with him. They were both silent, no words necessary as they tried to drift off, struggling to sleep more than either of them should have been, considering how exhausted they were…

"Adam?" An unfamiliar voice drew them both from their thoughts. "Or… Michael?" They both twitched at the sounds of their names, turning their head as one to look toward who had spoken. It was the maybe-demon - the sight of him made Michael's stomach twist uncomfortably, some horrible, confusing emotion he couldn't quite place - leaning back against the doorway. His eyebrows were raised, mouth twisted slightly as he tilted his head to the side.

He spoke Michael's name with the same discomfort Michael felt at the mere sight of him; It sent off warning bells in the archangel's head, unease coursing through him as he pushed them to sit up. Adam sighed a little, internally, and it was the demon who spoke up to answer the other, tone dripping with a mild amount of sarcasm. "Yes."

"Eh, Sam and Dean told me you'd be pretty much, uh… merged, probably." The maybe-demon drew two of his fingers together, as if to emphasize his own point, and Adam arched an eyebrow slightly. Michael frowned, sitting up completely and crossing their legs up on the cot. "I was just asking what I should call you, y'know, considering."

"Either one is fine," Michael admitted, glancing the maybe-demon up and down. His frown deepened slightly, struggling to focus. There was another thing wrong about this picture - his true face was hidden. He could sense something, some kind of energy from him, but he couldn't tell anything other than that. It was familiar, and yet unfamiliar, and it irked him.

"Who the hell are you?" Adam suddenly asked, a little sharper, much more _rude _than Michael would have been - the archangel debated on correcting him, but after a moment, he decided against it - but the maybe-demon didn't seem too fazed. His eyebrows twitched slightly, lips curling upwards just a fraction, but otherwise, his was completely stoic. Guarded, almost.

"The name's Belphegor." The maybe-demon stepped forward, offering an over-exaggerated bow, and a rush of irritation coiled up in their chest from Adam's side. Michael just shook his head a little, silently chiding the demon to calm down as Belphegor straightened up. "It's nice to meet… both of you?" He cocked his head slightly to the side, a grin finally cracking at his lips.

_Jesus fuck, the lack of eyes is unnerving. Even with the damn sunglasses, _Adam complained internally, fighting back a shudder, and Michael had to agree, even if he was more focused on trying to sense even a little bit more from the maybe-demon. Because he didn't _feel _like a demon. It just wasn't right - it didn't quite _add up_. He would be able to sense a demon's true form with _ease_ \- could demons even hide their true forms, anyway?

"Mm." Michael narrowed his eyes a little, but he didn't say anything else. Belphegor's smile melted, at once, turning his head slightly to look toward him - Michael guessed - as his eyebrows furrowed. A briefly irritated expression crossed his face, just for a second, before it smoothed out again.

"So, I guess neither of them have caught you up yet," the maybe-demon said cheerfully as he approached them. Adam pushed them back a little, a warning growl rumbling deep in the demon's throat - Michael silenced him quickly, moving them back a little bit more, himself. "Must be a little disorienting, finally getting out of the doggy crate."

_Doggy crate. _Something flickered to life in Michael's mind, something familiar - the _words _were familiar, somehow, he just couldn't quite place where he might have heard them before. He didn't have much time to react, though, feeling Adam's anger rise further at the thinly-veiled taunt, and tried to reign the demon in slightly as he leaned forward.

"I," Adam started, slow and precise, teeth bared once more. "Will rip. Your face off."

Belphegor looked down at him, smile growing even further as his eyebrows rose, just a little, just enough for both of them to know that he was only teasing the demon further. "Go ahead."

"Okay, enough-" Michael interrupted quickly, before Adam had time to spit out a response. The demon cursed, internally, but he retreated just a little so that Michael could take most of his control back, the archangel sighing a little as he did so. "Just… relax. Both of you." He spared Belphegor a slightly irritated look, himself. He already didn't trust the maybe-demon, but the way he had been taunting Adam most certainly didn't settle well with the archangel.

"Sure," Belphegor agreed easily enough, but he stepped back from Michael, crossing the room toward a desk with a slight hum rising in his throat. The archangel glanced after him as Adam turned them so that they could continue to face the maybe-demon, clearly even more distrustful of him than even Michael was. "But, for real, now, you don't have any idea how you got sprung from the Cage, d'ya?"

"No," Michael responded curtly, frowning slightly at the maybe-demon as he fell back into the chair at the desk, rolling it out a little to the middle of the floor.

"Welp." Belphegor leaned forward a little - Adam leaned back - and clasped his hands together. "God pretty much opened every door in Hell that exists."

For a long moment, Michael just stared, uncomprehending, bewildered. Even Adam's irritation vanished in a split second, immediately shifting into confusion. For a moment, a part of him ached to defend his Father - because opening the Cage would be one thing, but to open the gates of Hell? Allowing all of those tormented souls, and the demons, to walk free? Hell, actively _making it happen_ Himself… Why? _Why _would God- what would He have to gain from that?

Michael had only met his Father a few times. During his creation, when he was appointed Prince of Archangels, and when God had finally left, leaving him in command of, not only Heaven's armies, but of Heaven itself. Those interactions had been vague, and brief - but Michael had respected his Father, adored Him, followed Him without question. He'd never doubted God's intentions, not even for a second - not just because it wasn't his place, but because he'd never had a reason to doubt his Father; He'd never been given a reason not to trust Him.

Until… the Cage.

That trust had, most certainly, been broken. And the way Michael hesitated over the possibility that God really _was _behind this, was the proof. This was basically an Apocalypse; His Father's doing, this time. Not his own, and not Lucifer's.

Meaning it was God's will.

The thought scared Michael a little more than he cared to admit. If it was true, then God had freed him, at last - but had that really been His intention? He could have just opened the Cage, if he had only intended for Michael and Adam to finally be released - but, again, to open the gates of Hell… you don't do that, you don't set thousands upon thousands of souls free without knowing exactly what you're doing. And if it was true, and God wanted this to happen, then what… what did he have planned for Earth now? What was he hoping would happen here? Something of a flood? Another reset?

_Talk about a plot twist, _Adam commented idly, though he seemed a little perturbed. _I figured that the Big Guy was a little screwed up, but - damn. _

"No…" Michael mumbled, hating that his first instinct was _still _to jump to his Father's defense, even after everything that had happened, even when he didn't even want to try and defend God's actions this time. He looked up, focusing on Belphegor, who was now busy flipping through a pamphlet he had taken from the desk. "Why?"

"Pardon?" Belphegor lifted his head, eyebrows raising.

"Why did he…" Michael couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence, his throat tightening up uncomfortably. He spared an almost nervous look upwards, as if he were sinning, now, by even beginning to question his Father. It wasn't his job to ask questions - it wasn't his job to ask _why_ \- it was just his job to accept and obey, and it felt so, so _wrong _to do anything else.

After a moment, it was Adam who spoke, irritated as ever. "What my body-buddy here is trying to say is, _why _the fuck did God open the gates of Hell?"

"Ah." Belphegor sat back in the chair, crossing one leg over the other and pursing his lips. "Interesting story, actually. He's just… ending it. You know, the universe. His story. Pretty much existence…" He trailed off, quirking an eyebrow at them, as Michael sank back against the wall slightly, unable to respond. "He's done here, man. Sam thinks He's already headed to a new universe by now, starting all over again."

"H- He-" Michael choked off, taking a deep breath and holding it for a good few seconds. Adam was silent, now, but the fury had returned - even more surprising, Michael was beginning to feel a little angry, himself. _Ending His story? What does that even mean? A new universe? Starting over? __**Again**__?_

He swallowed back the questions and closed his eyes for a moment, suddenly feeling nauseous. None of this was making any sense to him, now.

"Look, basically, God's done with us," Belphegor said simply, "I don't know _exactly _what happened, you're gonna have to go to Sam and Dean for all that, but - he's done. And we've been completely trashed, scrapped, discarded-"

"We fuckin' get it," Adam snapped icily, eyes narrowing slightly at the maybe-demon. Michael just stayed quiet, not knowing what to say at this point. "God's a dick. Surprise, surprise- now shut the fuck up, would you?" A moment of silent passed, and Belphegor snorted but sank back into the chair with a hum, turning his attention back to the pamphlet. "Halo?"

It took Michael a good few seconds to pull himself from his own thoughts, still dizzy with disbelief. He really shouldn't be so shocked, considering everything - but he was. As if he hadn't already felt completely, and utterly, abandoned by his Father - but _this_ was just new information entirely. Belphegor was making it sound like they were… literally _nothing_, to God. Not just him, but everybody; The universe, his entire creation. Like it was nothing - like it could all be thrown away, destroyed and replaced, just like that, and he didn't even…

… and he never even…?

_Lucifer was right. _If nothing else, Michael was sure of that. His brother had been so adamant, so insistent that God couldn't be trusted, that they shouldn't stand with him. He'd come to Michael, so long ago, with that, begging him to stand with him instead of their Father. And, ever so loyal, Michael had pushed him away. And for _what? _

"Lucifer…" Adam mumbled aloud, much quieter now. Michael didn't even bother to silence him, still far too shaken to remember that Belphegor was still in the room. "At least we know he's not behind this," the demon muttered, "not gonna help us to find him, though…"

"... You're trying to find Lucifer?" Belphegor's question finally drew Michael from his thoughts, and into a split-second panic, though he wasn't even sure why. He hadn't wanted anyone to know they were searching for his brother - hadn't wanted to put anyone's focus on the Devil, on the off-chance that maybe they weren't even searching for him at all - for their sakes _and _for his brother's. But, it was too late now, the question was already in the air, and Michael wasn't willing to outright _lie_.

He nodded to Belphegor, who inhaled slowly through his teeth - creating a very faint hissing sound in the process - and exhaled even slower. "Aha… oh, boy."

Something dropped, at that moment, abrupt and dizzying, from both Adam and Michael. Neither of them liked the expression on the maybe-demon's face, and they most _certainly _didn't like his tone, or the implications behind it. At this point, Michael was steadily going numb, heart pounding, chest aching, but it suddenly felt all too surreal.

"'Oh, boy' what?" They asked, careful on Michael's side, but a much more dangerous edge underneath coming from Adam. "You know something about Luce?" Adam demanded, eyes narrowing to slits at the maybe-demon in front of them.

Belphegor pulled a face. "Well, I know that you're wasting your time trying to find him."

Adam started to respond, but he couldn't seem to be able to make a sound, as if he didn't really want to ask the question that was echoing through their head - as if he didn't want the answer that they both feared they were going to receive. It took several minutes for either of them to be able to force the words out, and it was Michael who spoke, his voice finally cracking.

"Why?"

_Why, why, why._

"Well," Belphegor started, slowly, deliberately… _hesitantly_, "because he's _dead_."


	11. Chapter 11

… _Because he's dead._

It took Adam and Michael exactly five seconds to register those words. It took the demon two seconds, and the archangel only half of one, to genuinely realize the meaning. The reaction hit Michael first; Like a bus had slammed into their chest, heavy and hard, and enough to knock their breath away. That's what made it real for Adam, that's what brought the realization, Earth-shattering, dizzying, and horrifying; And then his own pain burst to life, and it was only then that they both _really _began to suffocate, their lungs seemingly collapsing under the pressure. Something had cracked, in the both of them - even Adam.

With it, came the realization that the demon had, most definitely, grown closer to Lucifer than he'd even imagined. He knew he didn't hate the Devil - but he hadn't expected to grieve over him like this. He hadn't expected such a burning, twisting kind of pain, the horror, the confusion, the disbelief and the _grief _that slammed through him, and he visibly shook at the way it _hurt_.

The Devil had become… not quite a friend, on either side, but an acquaintance. Adam trusted him, at the very least; Because he was _honest_. And honesty was something that the demon had clung to during his time in the Cage, desperate for something that wasn't a trick, or a lie. He'd been deceived by the angels; He'd been deceived by his brothers; Aside from Michael, Lucifer was the first one who hadn't openly tried to _use _him, hadn't made any kind of attempt at lying to him - or "avoided certain truths to manipulate him".

He… he had ended up liking the Devil, intentionally or otherwise. So, yes, the revelation hurt - and that, combined with the horror and confusion and grief radiating from Michael-

_Michael_.

The pain flowing from the archangel hadn't faded a bit - if anything, it only seemed to get stronger by the second. He had released all of his control, almost accidentally, but he was still there - still in the front of their mind, that is, still watching, still listening. For a moment, Adam hesitated. He could feel the grief and guilt mixing in the archangel's chest, yet his thoughts were almost blank - hurting, but numb, at the same time.

He didn't even respond to his name, nothing.

Adam hesitated, unsurprised, now, by the heat pressing behind his eyes, the very faint prickling of the tears that were threatening to rise. Whether they were from Michael, or himself, could be addressed at a later date; There were much bigger issues now - the archangel was completely unresponsive, Lucifer was- he was-

The demon shook again, unable to complete the thought, even internally. There was no one else to find, now, Adam realized quickly. Lucifer was- _gone_, which left them both completely stuck. Where did they go now? What did they do now? Of course their existence didn't revolve around Lucifer - At least Adam's didn't, as much as he was grieving over the Devil - but that had been the one thing they were actually dead set on, the one thing they knew they were going to do, the one thing holding them together for the time being, and…

The guilt and grief from Michael's side only intensified, but along with it came a sudden rush of anxiety, confusion. Adam could feel it - of course, that was Michael's drive, too. The one thing keeping the archangel pushing forward, the only thing he was certain of, was finding his brother. Making things right, as Adam had realized. He couldn't do that now; He couldn't fix things with Lucifer now, he was _gone_, and Michael was still here - still here, still _lost_.

And once more, devoid of any sense of purpose.

Adam had seen what it had done to him in the Cage. The way he had snapped, and cracked, and shattered. It had driven him insane - completely, utterly, batshit crazy - and only began to change when Adam had finally had enough. He had been able to fix Michael then, but what was he supposed to do now? It wasn't like they could raise Lucifer from the dead.

"Yyyyeeeaaah I figured you'd take it pretty rough," Belphegor mumbled, snapping Adam from his thoughts. The demon glanced up at the other as he stood, lightly pushing the chair back a bit and cracking a slightly sheepish grin at Adam, who just stared, blank and unresponsive. "So, uh… Adam, Micha, whichever one you are, or both- y'all can get details from-"

"Micha?" That was Michael, who had spoken, voice strained, as if it was taking everything he had just to keep himself together. Adam jumped a little, startled by his sudden reappearance, as well as the sudden realization that seemed to have struck. Belphegor seemed to have his own epiphany at that moment, looking briefly alarmed, before it was masked over again.

"Uh huh… so you can just… yeah." Belphegor clasped his hands together, backing toward the doorway now. "Sam or Dean - or both - can fill you in on the details. I don't even really know how it happened, but they do, so… I'ma head out."

Michael was, once again, quiet. Adam just stared as Belphegor finally ducked out of the room, leaving them alone yet again, before slowly dropping his gaze to the floor in front of them. It felt like everything had just suddenly flipped around - as if reality was slowly, but surely, shattering right before their eyes. It was horrifying, the way things seemed to have changed so quickly, in an instant - how one bit of news could change almost their entire existence.

Adam blinked as the tears flickered back to life, threatening to brew. Again, he didn't know who they were coming from now - but he was alarmed to feel the pain suddenly fading from Michael's end, slowly but surely fizzling out into complete numbness.

They sat there for a while, silent. Adam didn't know what to do. His usual tough-love approach wasn't going to work for this one, and he wasn't one for the soft heart-to-hearts that Michael was usually so good at giving. He felt just as lost, in too many different ways.

The demon retreated slightly, still uncertain - and he startled when Michael abruptly rose up, a different emotion stirring in his chest. Adam couldn't quite place it - something cold, and strong, and _almost _terrifying. "Michael?" The demon muttered carefully, but he didn't get a response as Michael pushed them to stand, a little unsteadily, and crossed the room to the door.

"_Michael_," Adam repeated, a little stronger. Michael paused, this time, offering an unspoken _what? _before he continued on his way, glancing up and down the halls before heading off again. From the looks of it, he was bringing them back to the main area of the school, where everyone else was - where Sam and Dean were, the demon realized a little bit too late. The emotions clouding the archangel's head were dizzying and somewhat confusing, but, finally picking them apart, slowly and surely, there was some anger lying underneath.

"_I don't even really know how it happened, but they do."_

The demon could tell how hard of a time the archangel was having, not making assumptions, not getting angry - but even then, his senses were still clouded, grief and pain driving him above everything else, and Adam faltered a little, just for a second. He didn't do anything, yet, just as desperate for answers. His own anger rose up, alongside Michael's, just for a second - given how the Winchesters felt about Lucifer, he wouldn't put it past them to have been involved with his… _jeez, he still couldn't think the word_… and if that was the case, then _honestly_, Michael certainly couldn't have a reason to hold Adam back then, right?

"Where are they?" Michael demanded as they entered the room, never breaking stride. Adam pulled himself out of his own thoughts, slightly startled by the sharp tone that had entered the archangel's voice. His words cracked and trembled, but this time it seemed to be from a completely different emotion; A completely different set of feelings driving him.

It was… unnatural, for Michael, which unnerved Adam just a little bit.

"Who?" Castiel spoke up, blue eyes narrowed, as Michael approached him and the red-headed woman he had been interacting with before. The woman looked up at once, eyebrows raising slightly, but Michael's focus was on Castiel.

"The Winchesters. Where are they?" Michael repeated, and as cold as his voice was, Adam could have easily assumed he was the one talking, instead of the archangel. Again, it was so unnatural, the archangel somehow being more angry than Adam was about - _anything_, really. It just felt wrong, like it was throwing the universe completely off-kilter. Like it was shattering their world even further than it had already been.

"Sam and Dean are checking on the barrier, a hunter jus-" Castiel started, and Michael turned at once, heading off without waiting for the angel to finish. Adam frowned, finally ready to voice his own concerns, to ask what, exactly, Michael even planned to do - but before he could, and before Michael could get very far, a hand clamped down on their shoulder, bringing them to a quick, steady stop. "Michael," Castiel's gruff voice almost held a warning, "what are you-"

Michael spun around, jerking away from the other angel, one hand catching Castiel's wrist and yanking his hand off of the archangel's shoulder. In the next instant, the other angel had backed off, blue eyes searching their face, seeming startled by whatever he was seeing there.

"Castiel-" Michael's voice was breathless, shaking with fury, "-_don't_-"

"_Michael_," Adam cut the archangel off quickly, caring less about talking to him out loud and more about calming the other down. Michael paused at once, seeming reluctant to do so, but he ripped his attention away from Castiel and turned his gaze toward the doors instead. The fury brewing within him was stronger than Adam had even known he was capable of, and while Adam did, somewhat, want to stand back and watch the fight break out between him and Castiel - Michael's warning from earlier still rang in his ears.

Michael clenched their teeth, but reeled back, raising their hands to their face. Adam sighed a little, screwing their eyes shut as Michael dug their fingers into their hair, tugging slightly and turning his back on Castiel once more. He didn't make another move for the door, though, simply stood still, head in their hands, breathing heavily, struggling to pull himself together.

"Michael, what is it?" Castiel demanded behind them, but he was keeping his distance now. Adam sighed a little, forcing his own anger back as much as possible. Definitely a twist, this was; Him, keeping Michael calm for once. The archangel didn't respond, just shook his head.

Adam replied, instead, calmer, but annoyed. "Lucifer's…"

Silence followed, and Adam just raised their head, not bothering to turn around. He didn't want to have to clarify further, but he didn't have to - Michael whirled around, abruptly, anger returning. "Did you know?" He suddenly demanded, searching the other angel's face. "Did you know that he was- that he- that he's- that he's _dead?"_

"I was aware, yes," Castiel responded stiffly, narrowing his eyes slightly at them. Confusion glinted through the angel's blue eyes, and Adam resisted the urge to roll his own. Michael took a few steps back and breathed in slowly, seemingly trying to calm himself down, as much as he could. While he took a moment to compose himself, Adam spoke up, narrowing their eyes at the angel slightly.

"How?" The demon demanded simply, crossing their arms over their chest. "Let me guess; Sam and Dean had something to do with it," he added, his own anger rising again, but he struggled to push it down again, not wanting to make it any harder on Michael than it seemed to be.

Finally, a flicker of hesitation appeared on Castiel's face. "Well…"

"Had something to do with what?" They twitched and turned, at once, hearing Sam speak up from behind them. Dean was beside him, busy stuffing their shotguns into a duffle-bag. The taller of the two looked more bewildered than anything, glancing from Adam and Michael to Castiel. "What's wrong?"

Michael shook their head a little, while Adam took in a breath and held it, still struggling to keep his anger at bay - especially now that he was facing the Winchesters again. His mouth twitched, twisting into a faint scowl, and Michael shook a little. The anger between both of them, combined, was most certainly a dangerous combination. They both acknowledged this.

"Lucifer's dead," Michael finally managed to hiss, quieter than before, his voice shakier than before - but filled with rage, all the same. Sam blinked at that, his confusion seeming to intensify. It was Dean who reacted, shoulders jerking, head snapping up, eyes flickering upwards, his own confusion giving way to a horrified realization before it was masked just as abruptly, jaw setting, eyes hardening.

Adam inclined their head toward his older half-brother, and Michael's gaze came to rest on the older Winchester, having seen his reaction just the same. "What?" Adam demanded, narrowing their eyes at Dean. "You _were _involved, weren't you? What the _hell _did you _do?"_

A snarl broke from their lips after Adam had spoken the last part, but it had come from Michael this time, the archangel hardly trying to stifle his own fury now.

"Alright, hey-" Dean held a hand up defensively, eyes narrowing slightly. "Let's just- try and remember that we're talking about the Devil here, okay? Satan?" He reminded them, but it did nothing to calm the archangel or the demon. "He was-"

"My _brother_," Michael choked out through clenched teeth, shaking even harder. Adam twitched slightly, every part of him aching to lunge now, yearning for blood, desperate to rip into the Winchesters as deeply as possible - and, maybe he would have, if Michael wasn't having the same urges. Maybe he would have, if Michael didn't seem as eager to attack as Adam was. That gave Adam pause, made him hesitate. That wasn't right, it wasn't right…

"Let's just try and calm down," Sam said carefully, stepping forward a little, as if to put himself in between Dean and Michael. Castiel shuffled forward, as well, bringing himself up on the other side, but Michael didn't seem to notice. Either that, or he just didn't care.

Castiel nodded slightly in agreement to Sam's words, blue eyes flickering back and forth between Dean and Michael with growing uncertainty. "Yes, let's-"

"I want to know," Michael's voice rose slightly. Dean jolted a little, only slightly, but he didn't move backwards, just continued to stare at the archangel in silence. "Who killed my brother."

"_I _did, okay?" Dean finally snarled back, and Michael's eyes hardened at once, jerking back a little bit. The hunter stood still, shrugging away from Sam and Castiel and ignoring their protests as he met Adam and Michael's gaze steadily, despite the echoes of fear, uncertainty that flickered through his green gaze. "I mean, I had a little help, but it was _me_-"

"_You_?" Michael interrupted, lips curled back slightly, as he suddenly moved forward - even Adam was left stunned into silence by his sudden, aggressive advance, and Dean finally took a few steps back, green eyes hardening slightly with defiance despite the way his face seemed to pale in response to the archangel's fury. "_You _killed my _brother?"_

"I killed the Devil," Dean corrected, still backing away with every step forward that Michael took. Adam just stared, unsure how to react now, what to do - did he let Michael handle the Winchesters himself, or did he step in to help? Or… or did he step in to _stop _him? Castiel and Sam were trying, Adam could feel Castiel's hand on Michael's shoulder, and Sam was following after Dean, still trying to get him out of the archangel's line of sight.

"No, _no_, he didn't deserve to- _he didn't deserve to die_," Michael roared, ripping away from Castiel and moving forward again. His eyes blazed, a distinct, bright blue, as he approached the hunter. "You- _you-_" At a loss for words, the archangel only continued to shake slightly, before taking another few steps forward. "_Murderer_."

Adam hesitated, still torn, but the last word caught his attention. He thought back to what Michael had said to him earlier - _you're not a murderer_. He thought back to the guilt that constantly plagued the archangel, the way he kept him from hurting Sam and Dean, afraid of the demon making the same mistakes that he had, afraid of Adam drowning in guilt of his own. _I can tell you that this… revenge… none of it's going to make it better. It's not going to make you hate them any less. _

The demon faltered.

Michael was hurt. He was angry. He was confused. And grieving… but even then, Adam knew, the archangel was only giving himself yet another reason to hate himself. Yet another thing to punish himself for. Yet another thing to feel guilty over. He was blinded by rage now - but when that went away, if he did something now that he'd end up regretting later, it was going to be even harder for him to bring himself back from the self-loathing he was trapped in.

Adam frowned, looking at Dean. The fear was apparent on his face, despite how much he was trying to hide it. But even as satisfying as it was… as satisfying as it would be to just sit back and let Michael lose himself to the fury, to let him rip the hunter apart himself, knowing what that would _do _to the archangel, and even the slightest possibility - Adam couldn't.

"... Michael…" The demon mumbled, quietly, but it was enough to make Michael pause again. His blazing gaze didn't leave Dean, and for just a second, Adam fell silent, staring at his brother as confusion replaced the wariness and fear that had been written across his face moments before. But, Adam's hesitation didn't last so long this time; Before Michael could continue his advances, the demon tore their gaze away, off of Dean, rooting their eyes to the floor instead. "This isn't you."

Michael didn't respond, but he clenched their hands into fists slightly, knuckles turning white.

_You're better than this, _Adam insisted, internally now, as he took a few steps backwards, distancing them from Dean. Michael let him, keeping their gaze downcast. _Even if you don't think so, you are. So don't do this. Not if you're going to end up hating yourself for it later. They're not… _The demon let their gaze flick back up, just for a second. _They're not worth it._

Again, the archangel remained unresponsive. But he did look up, eyes resting on Dean, first, and then Sam - and then Castiel, who had them by the shoulder again, continuing to pull them backwards, away from Dean. Michael looked back at Dean, gaze lingering, just for a second.

It took a while, and Michael continued to hesitate. Adam eventually pulled away from Castiel, himself, shooting him an irritated look but continuing to back off anyway. But, finally, Michael's anger faltered, dimmed, and diminished all at once, leaving behind nothing but uncertain, pained exhaustion. And then, with that, he had vanished just as quickly, retracting the last of his control and retreating completely into the back of their mind, leaving Adam alone at the front.

Adam glanced up, shoulders dropping slightly, as if a weight had dropped. He stumbled, just a little, before managing to right himself again, lifting his head and focusing his gaze on Dean. "Consider yourself lucky," he growled at his brother, "that Michael doesn't deserve to live with the guilt of killing you, or I'd have let him pulverize your sorry ass." He didn't wait for a response, didn't stick around for a reply. He turned, shoving his way past Castiel, brushing past Belphegor, and left the room.

It was only when he reached the nurse's office that he stopped. And, shutting his eyes, he retreated, himself, his body crumpling to the ground as he let his control slip.


	12. Chapter 12

Michael had spent enough time walking through the darkness that he was steadily beginning to realize he might just be lost in the swirl of memories. Voices echoed through his head, words and memories he had long suppressed. His brother's voice stuck with him throughout everything else, though, standing out among the others, drowning out everybody and everything else. The pain flickering through his chest was steadily dying out, turning numb. He couldn't even think, really - his mind was blank, aside from the words that were echoing around his head from the memories. His eyes stung, but they were dry.

For a moment, the archangel faltered to a stop, looking down. A rush of pain enveloped him once again, accompanied by guilt - _guilt, guilt, guilt, _it seemed to be the only thing driving him right then. Tears finally prickled at the corners of his eyes, wrapping his arms around himself as if he could hold himself together that way, his last defensive mechanism.

Adam was wrong - Michael wasn't better than this, he wasn't better than the Winchesters. There was a time when he was going to make that same mistake, when he was going to do exactly what Dean had done, when he had been willing to drop everything and fight his brother - ready to _kill _him - because his _Father _had commanded him to do so. The anger returned, not quite at full force as it had been only moments ago, but it was enough.

Lucifer hadn't… deserved that. The things Michael had said to him; The things he had done to him; The things that hadn't come from him, not really - but from the chains that continued to bind him to his Father, from the blind _loyalty_, the blind _faith _he had in the Man. But that loyalty, that faith, if it hadn't been severed before, it most certainly was now. And that anger pulsed, strong and steady, twisting into something even stronger. He was angry at Dean. He was angry at himself.

But he _despised _God.

It was too little, too late, now. Lucifer was gone; He couldn't beg his brother for forgiveness, he couldn't redeem himself to him now. He was so _stupid_, for trying to change, for trying to be better _now_, now after _all _that time, after all of the mistakes he had made, all of the pain he had caused. He was stupid for thinking that things could get any better - that he was _worth it._

"Halo."

The archangel stilled, turning his head slightly before turning around completely to face Adam. He faltered, the second he did - Adam was the only one he had left now, but he didn't want the demon to see him like this, seconds away from a breakdown and barely managing to hold himself together. He didn't respond, sucking in a deep breath and holding it, reaching up and trying to rub the tears away silently. It wasn't fair - Adam was grieving, too-

"Yeah," the demon agreed, coming to a stop in front of him, but he didn't seem irritated - or even slightly angry, for that matter. "But it's not my brother that…" The demon paused, inhaling, before managing to speak again, seeming to have a hard time spitting the word out. "... Died."

Michael just stared at him, silent. He didn't even know what to say to the demon - what was there to say? But words weren't even needed. Adam gazed at him for the longest time, just as silent, before turning his head and looking around. The archangel hesitated a little before finally ripping his own gaze away, as well, watching the darkness around them seem to fade. Then, finally, the colors burst to life, swirling and merging - and before Michael knew it, they were in a park. But not… _the _park.

It was the park they'd been in before, during their first night on Earth; The stars glittered up ahead, dark clouds whisking across the sky, the breeze sharp and cold - enough to bring Michael back to his senses, if only slightly, the haze of emotions calming faintly as he let his eyes flick around the area, the stiffness in his muscles slowly relaxing.

Adam moved from beside him, and Michael watched as he headed over to the bench that they had been settled on those few nights ago, where they'd just sat and watched the sky. The demon sank back wordlessly, his focus no longer on Michael, but on the sky. The archangel watched him, quiet, before slowly turning his gaze back to the stars. After a long moment, just standing still, he finally moved to follow, almost numbly.

The demon moved over so that Michael could sit beside him, still not quite looking at him. Michael looked the other way, just for a moment, slowly glancing around the park before rooting his gaze back to the stars above. They seemed just a little bit brighter than Michael had remembered - but, then, this was Adam's memory. The demon leaned back, sinking against the bench and crossing one leg over the other, crossing his arms behind his head and letting his eyes drift shut with a low, soft sigh. Michael spared him a glance, but didn't speak.

Maybe he was right - maybe Michael was grieving more than Adam was. Lucifer was his brother, after all. And as close as the demon might have gotten to the Devil, he and Michael still had more history. Maybe that's what made it worse - the fact that they had never actually made up. The fact that they'd never have the chance to now.

He wondered if Lucifer would have even forgave him in the first place. But that didn't matter; He'd never been able to tell his brother how _sorry _he really was. Regardless of whether Lucifer believed him, and forgave him, or not - his brother had died believing that all of his family hated him. That Michael hated him. As angry as he had been at Lucifer, he had never hated him.

It was kind of funny - he had never truly been able to hate the Devil, but that was exactly what he was feeling now, and for _God _of all people; Pure loathing.

Michael blinked, drawn from his thoughts when Adam suddenly went completely slack, relaxing into the bench all at once. And then he was completely dormant - his thoughts had slowed to a complete stop. He had fallen asleep.

The archangel sighed a little, keeping his gaze fixed on the demon for a moment. He couldn't blame him for falling asleep, of course - he was equally exhausted, and in more ways than one. But Michael didn't think he'd be getting any sleep, not now. He fell silent, letting his gaze flicker away from Adam, and leaned his head back to look up again. Every part of him ached to just give in, to let himself go completely, to succumb to the insanity the way he had done before; It was there, flickering just faintly at the edges, ready to be released the second the calm, patient, stability proved to be too much for the archangel to be able to carry anymore.

It was all weighing down on him now, and he was more than willing to let himself crack under the pressure, but… he couldn't do that. He couldn't give in - not only because he couldn't do that to Adam, but because he didn't want to do that to himself again.

He _wanted _to change.

He wanted to be better - he wanted to _do _better. Not just for Lucifer - but for… everything. For Adam, for Heaven, for the universe - for the first time, his thoughts had been extended beyond just what God wanted of him, what God wanted in general. Because he was tired of living by his Father's standards - he had been even before he'd been sprung from the Cage. He had been determined, _desperate _to change, even before every door in Hell had come open. So what if God didn't think he was worth it? Apparently He didn't think anyone in this universe was worth it.

He hadn't thought Lucifer was worth it.

Regardless, even knowing Lucifer was gone - Michael still _wanted _to be better. He didn't even know why, he couldn't even place it; But he still ached to be something more than just, God's most loyal angel, his blindly faithful son. He wanted to undo the mistakes that he had made in the past - but even more than that, he wanted to undo God's mistakes. He wanted to defy Him. He wanted to do something, not for him, but _against _Him.

Michael exhaled, slowly, and sank back beside Adam, crossing both of his arms over his face. He was still exhausted, and it all still _hurt _\- but beyond that, his drive, his purpose, it hadn't entirely fizzled out. No, it had merely shifted in focus.

Closing his eyes, he relaxed into the bench, as much as possible. He'd try to sleep, but he didn't think he'd be able to get very far - regardless, he was content to just sit there beside Adam, his energy completely drained, finally taking the much-needed break. The anger diminished again, with ease - leaving behind nothing but a cold, hollow feeling. Not quite pain, not quite comfort.

And then, finally, when he was numb, he drifted.

* * *

_He dreamed of Heaven, yet again. _

_He dreamed of his family, of his brother. He dreamed of Lucifer, before the Rebellion. He dreamed of how they used to be, happy and carefree, blissfully oblivious. He dreamed of exploring Heaven with his younger brother by his side, teaching him how to fight, showing him different weapons, helping him to create. He dreamed of watching the creation of the universe, side by side with Lucifer, as God created the first human._

"_I don't really understand," Lucifer had admitted to him, puzzled as he watched their Father work over humanity, creating these beings, this life, out of nothing. Michael was more fascinated, too much so to share his brother's confusion. "They have no powers, no purpose."_

"_They have to have a purpose, Luci. Father wouldn't make them unless they did," Michael dismissed with ease. Too trusting, too faithful. Lucifer had only snorted, clearly irritated with how easily his older brother had brushed him off; After a moment, the archangel tore his focus away, bringing his attention back to his brother. "I'm sorry. I __**am **__listening, Lucifer."_

"_They're useless," Lucifer said simply, confusion evident in his tone once more. "They're not like us, are they? And… well, Michael, they're __**weak**__," he emphasized, as if to prove a point, "why is He focusing so much on them?"_

_He dreamed of the first time Lucifer had outright questioned their Father. The day the seeds of his Rebellion had been planted._

_Michael hadn't been sure how to respond; He'd only stared, confused and unnerved. He'd never questioned his Father's actions before, and he didn't want to start now - the thing that had scared him most of all back then, though, was how much he almost agreed. "Perhaps I should warn you against questioning Father, Lucifer," he responded, somewhat hesitantly, "He knows what He's doing."_

"_He's asking us to bow down to these creatures," Lucifer reminded him, "to love them more than we love Him. Let me ask you, Micha - are __**you**_ _even capable of that?"_

"_I'm capable of whatever Father asks of me," Michael had replied with ease. Lucifer had only stared at him, still skeptical. But, after a moment, he had relaxed, not content with the answers he had been given, but still too chained, even back then, to be able to question any more. At least for the moment. Michael had fallen silent as well, turning his attention back to their Father._

_He dreamed of the day his own questions had begun to bloom. He dreamed of the day he wished he hadn't shoved his own uncertainties so far down._

* * *

And he awoke, even more determined than he had been before he'd fallen asleep. Maybe he couldn't make things right with Lucifer - but he could make things right _for _Lucifer, and he'd be damned if he wasn't willing to try.


	13. Chapter 13

"BOO!"

In any other situation, _literally_ any other situation, Adam would have probably jumped up, turned, and slammed his fist into the face of _whoever _the fuck had just decided to pop up behind them and start screaming. But he didn't, for two reasons; One, he was reading a book that he didn't exactly want to have to put down, and two, Michael had completely doubled them over, gasping, one hand clutching their chest as the archangel struggled to recover from the scare. It was almost funny - and Adam would have laughed if he hadn't been startled, himself. No, the demon was more or less just pissed off now.

"What- the heck- Belphegor-" Michael finally managed to choke out, and Adam paused for a moment, then let out a groan. The past few days had been… well, they'd been absolute _hell_, for both Michael and Adam. For the archangel, it was just a matter of trying to get over Lucifer's death, struggling to keep himself together - as well as, now, worrying about recovering and getting himself back to full power again. For Adam?

Well, his hell came in the form of one completely obnoxious, horrible, annoying, _spiteful_, maybe-demon, who he completely despised, and who apparently completely despised him. Or maybe it was Michael he despised - or maybe it was _both_, but the fact of the matter was that during the past few days, Belphegor had done nothing but torment both of them. Even now, when they thought they had found a classroom far enough away from everyone else and actually thought they might fucking be able to have some time alone, he finds them. Effortlessly.

He was really beginning to regret their decision to stay…

Scowling, the demon lifted his gaze from the book he was reading and instead focused his intense, cold glare on Belphegor. Who, grinning, had propped himself up against the desk beside him, his head tilted downward toward Adam and Michael. His grin seemed to widen the second Adam looked up at him, as if he could see the pure fury on his face. Hell, maybe he could. "_Bitch_, I will fucking _destroy _you-"

Michael, meanwhile, had gotten settled again for the most part, though he was kind of tense now. Adam noticed that, every time Belphegor was around, the archangel just seemed completely on edge, uneasy. Of course, the maybe-demon wasn't exactly helping matters, with the way he acted toward the two of them, but his wariness just made Adam even angrier toward the maybe-demon, as if it were just another reason to hate him - not that the demon needed any more reasons, he already hated him enough for _several_…

"Adam, don't," Michael groaned, swallowing hard and forcing them to lean back a little, just in case Adam did decide that the book wasn't worth it and tried to go after the maybe-demon. The demon rolled their eyes a little, but fell silent, looking down at the book.

It was a Stephen King novel - Cujo - that the demon had found in the library. Reading was something he'd actually somewhat enjoyed before his death - he was surprised it hadn't changed after his Transformation, considering. And Michael, well - he didn't seem to mind. Sometimes he would retreat slightly, surrendering most of the control over to Adam and reading along with him.

Belphegor was still laughing, still victorious, and it took just about everything Adam had not to look back up at him. While Michael was trying to recover and restore the rest of his power, when Adam wasn't reading, the demon had put a little more focus in trying to control the constant fury. Granted, he was only two days into this new decision and was already about to call it quits and snap Belphegor's fucking neck, but he was trying. Mostly because Michael had enough to worry about now, beyond keeping the demon calm; So, Adam was trying to keep _himself _calm.

"You know what I've realized?" Belphegor asked suddenly, pushing himself away from the desk. Adam slowly let his gaze trail back up, and Michael sighed a little internally - he wasn't too fond of the maybe-demon, himself - as the other moved forward, circling around to stand in front of them. "You two are _literally_ the most boring people here. There's five year olds, in this school, that are more interesting than you."

Adam visibly twitched, opening his mouth to respond, but Michael beat him to it. Raising their head, the archangel sank back into the chair again, raising an eyebrow at the maybe-demon. "Great, then, why don't you go bother them?" He suggested, calm as ever, but there was a slight edge to his tone now. Michael was patient, Adam could vouch for that, but even he was steadily beginning to lose his patience with Belphegor.

Belphegor's lips twitched, unfazed, as he leaned over the desk, closer to them. Adam twitched again, going completely still, and the maybe-demon turned his head downwards a little to face the book that they were reading, raising an eyebrow as he did so. "_Reading_? That's what you've resorted to?" He asked skeptically, looking back up. "The mighty archangel Michael, and a demon, are faced with the end of the world - and you're _reading_?"

"_Michael _is recovering," Adam spat, finally losing his nerve, "and, I'm sorry, what are _you _doing, exactly, big shot? How are you contributing at all, anyway?"

Belphegor pursed his lips, thinking about that for a moment, then shrugged. "Well, I mean, I want the souls back in Hell, so I'm trying to figure out how to do that. Oh! _And_, of course, I did do that whole thing with the mile-wide salt ring, _so_, yeah, I'm contributing a lot." He leaned forward a bit more. "So what are you doing, then, hot shot?"

A growl rose in Adam's throat, deep and rumbling, but Michael had other concerns now. The archangel retreated a little, confusion replacing the very slight irritation that had curled up in his chest, and while he didn't say anything aloud, he did call Adam off internally. _Hey, hang on a moment… _

Adam paused, shifting his focus off of Belphegor. _What?_

_He did the salt ring? _Michael questioned, almost skeptically. _How does a demon pull something like that off? They don't have that kind of power. And even if he did manage to… _He trailed off, but the confusion lingered, growing stronger by the second. Adam paused, his gaze slowly drifting back up to Belphegor, who had redirected his attention to the book. _Adam, I'm telling you, _Michael finally continued, _he's not… he's not a demon._

Adam narrowed his eyes slightly, looking back up at Belphegor. Even he could sense something was off about him. He couldn't say much, as he'd never been around other demons - but he definitely did feel power. And even beyond that… the way he acted put them both on edge, regardless. The demon frowned.

Belphegor lifted his head slightly, eyebrows raising toward Adam almost questioningly. "What's with the face?" He rested his elbows on the desk, shifting so he could lean his chin into his hands as he smirked slightly at the demon.

"What are you?" Adam asked simply, and the smile on Belphegor's face froze in an instant. Then, slowly, it melted, as he lifted his head from his hands, laying both arms flat against the table, and tilted his head downwards, just an inch. His eyebrows knitted together, as if he were thinking - but his response came barely a second later, slow and deliberate.

"I'm a demon. Duh."

"I don't know what you are," it was Michael who was speaking now, his voice quieter, a little less accusing than Adam, but still confident in what he was saying. "But you're no demon."

"Maybe you just have trust issues," Belphegor replied casually, but a small frown was slowly forming on his face. Something akin to frustration had appeared on his face, but neither Adam nor Michael could place it; The lack of eyes made that hard, too. "That's your problem, you know, the both of you - you're too suspicious of everyone."

"What is it they say?" Adam shot back sarcastically, "never trust anyone?"

"Horrible way to go through life," Belphegor commented, and a smile appeared on his face again, tight and and forced. Michael narrowed their eyes slightly, studying him carefully. "But what else is it they say… keep your friends close…" He leaned back, quirking an eyebrow at them as he pulled his arms off of the desk. "But keep your enemies closer?" At this, Adam growled again, the sound rumbling deep in his chest, inhuman and dangerous. Belphegor just inclined his head forward a little, his plastic grin widening further. "Maybe you're the one that's not a demon," he noted icily, "sounds more like a hellhound to me."

"Go to Hell," Adam hissed, barely keeping the snarl from breaking past his lips now. Belphegor chuckled, but it was hollow, mirthless. After a moment, Michael finally stepped in - and, honestly, thank goodness for that, because Adam was two seconds away from lunging now. Forget controlling his anger - he wanted this motherfucker to _burn_.

"Okay, _enough_," the archangel ordered, and Adam bared his teeth slightly, but he fell silent, his gaze never moving from Belphegor. The demon just smirked at him.

"Better listen to your daddy, Adam," Belphegor taunted, finally backing away from the desks completely. Adam visibly twitched, at that, and Michael had to force him down a little, severing his control, to keep the demon from slamming the book shut and standing up. "Don't wanna get grounded, do you?" The corner of his mouth twitched, a half-grin appearing.

It disappeared in an instant, however, when Michael raised their head, eyes sharpening, a faint blue sparking to life in the cold, angry eyes. "I said _enough_."

Belphegor licked his lips, eyebrows pinched together, but for all his belligerence, he was silent now. Finally, after a moment of staring, the maybe-demon took a few steps away and raised his head again, a much colder edge to the smile that appeared on his face now. "A'ight."

Michael continued to stare, silent, cold, before relaxing. Adam huffed a little as he rose up, taking back the control that the archangel had forced away from him. _You didn't have to do that, _he snapped, but he was more angry with himself than he was with Michael. He couldn't help it, not really - when he got mad, he got _mad_, and he _raged_, and he wasn't completely sure why, even now. But he could at least have more control over it than he did - he should at least _try_.

_It's alright, Adam, _Michael muttered, patient once again, but the exhaustion lingering from the archangel didn't go unnoticed from the demon. _He's just trying to pick a fight. You can't let him get to you like that, _he chided, albeit gently. Adam didn't respond with anything more than a grunt, tearing his gaze away from Belphegor and looking down at the book once again.

"Well, with that, I'm out." Belphegor backed away after a moment, eyebrows raising at them slightly. Adam slowly looked up again, his scowl returning at once as he focused on the maybe-demon, and Belphegor only shot him a sweet but sarcastic smile in response. "Have fun isolating yourself and not at all contributing to helping stop the end of the world, hot shot."

"Have fun being a Grade A douchebag and pissing everybody off, big shot," Adam snarled back in response, and Belphegor just grinned, ever so slightly, a faint trace of anger evident as he backed toward the door. Michael sighed, reigning the demon back in just a little more, but they both relaxed at once when Belphegor finally left the room. "Fuckin' _hate _that guy."

"I know…" Michael trailed off, sighing.

They were silent for a while; Michael retreated, allowing Adam to take control once more, and the demon returned his attention to the book, flipping a page absently and finally starting to read again. They both finally relaxed, and Adam zoned out, tuning everything else out and shifting his focus completely to the book. He was almost at the end when Michael suddenly jolted and lifted their head, gaze ripping away from the book, toward the doorway of the room.

"I just got to a good part-"

"Something's happening at the barrier," Michael mumbled, abruptly shoving the chair back. Adam flipped the book over at once, laying it down open on the table before they'd even completely stood, and reached to push another chair out of the way as Michael headed for the doorway. Now that he was paying attention, he could hear it distinctly, Sam and Dean speaking in the distance while an unfamiliar voice explained that something of a rift had opened in the barrier, and that spirits were escaping. After a moment, though, Adam tuned them out again.

"Halo. Michael, _buddy_, it's not our problem," the demon insisted with a frown. But Michael just shook his head, having absolutely none of that, and checked the hallways before stepping back and spreading his wings out. "What are y-"

What happened next was abrupt; Adam only heard the sound of Michael's wings flapping, before the ground abruptly vanished from under them. Adam's knees almost buckled beneath them - but Michael held them steady and still as everything else around them blurred and vanished - and then, in the next instant, they were standing on solid ground again, no longer indoors, but right outside the barrier now instead.

"Fucking _shit_ Michael you _asshole _warn me _fuck!" _Adam yelled, burying his face into their hands and letting out a low, muffled string of curses. Michael stopped to let him recover, giving a genuine, internal apology in response, and it took the demon a few seconds to compose himself from that. The nausea lingered long after he had dropped his hands, as did the rage. "_Ass_."

"I'm sorry," Michael insisted, "but-"

He cut off, jolting slightly when something suddenly rushed straight for them. The archangel staggered a little, eyes widening - but the orange streak darted upwards at the last second, zig-zagging through the air sharply, and took several turns before abruptly spiraling back down toward them again. Adam jerked them backwards just in time to avoid being hit, getting a glimpse of the streak in the process - it was a soul, and judging by its attacks, it wasn't a very happy one at that.

"_Watch it_, bitch!" Adam yelled, and Michael did his best to shush him - not that Adam was listening, he was still pissed at the archangel, thank you very much - as the soul dove back down toward them, emitting a screech in the process; Adam growled, and Michael jumped backwards, using his wings to pull them back even further.

Only for something to knock them forward again; Whatever it was had sliced at Michael's wings, bringing a startled, pained roar from the archangel as he stumbled forward. Adam turned at once, fury blinding him completely at that point, and lashed a hand out; It passed straight through the soul that had attacked them, unable to touch - but, seeming startled, it jerked away from him and shot upwards into the sky with the other one at once.

"Halo?" Adam demanded, slightly breathless as he spun around, eyes darting around warily now. The souls in the sky circled around each other, seemingly waiting for another chance to strike; the demon bared his teeth and clenched his fists, ready to fight.

"I'm okay," Michael huffed out, slightly strained, and lashed his wings backwards a little. He flinched, and Adam grunted a little, an uncomfortable, sharp jolt running down his spine; It didn't quite hurt, but it was bordering between discomfort and pain, enough for Adam to know that the archangel was most certainly hurting more than he was letting on.

"This is why we don't rush into battle, idiot," Adam ground out, still watching the souls as they flickered through the sky, diving down slightly on occasion but seeming reluctant to get close now. "One of these days I swear, you're gonna get yourself killed- you're gonna get _us _killed!"

"Adam, if they reach the school, people could die," Michael protested, flinching back slightly as one of the souls dove down toward them again, only to screech to a halt and jerk upwards before it could get close enough to touch.

"_We_ could die!"

"Just- Alright, _enough!" _Michael raised a hand as one of the souls swooped down again; A quick snap of his fingers diminished it in an instant, a blinding, bright flash of light and a pained scream later, and then there was only one soul in the sky - who jerked a little bit higher into the air now that its battle partner had been obliterated.

And the archangel faltered the second the light faded; They would have fallen if Adam hadn't surged up to take enough control to keep them up, staggering a little but managing to stay upright. "What the fuck, Michael? What did you do?" He demanded.

_That took a lot more than I thought it would,_ Michael admitted, a rush of anxiety flooding their chest from the angel's side as they turned their gaze to the remaining soul, who was now flickering wildly through the air, zig-zagging in random, distinct patterns and flying higher and higher up with each second that passed. _There's only one left, though, maybe I can-_

An earsplitting scream cut Michael's internal suggestion off; At once, Adam turned - and immediately took a few steps back, eyes widening slightly, pupils shrinking, as they focused on the sight in front of them. The archangel stiffened, anxiety intensifying.

At least fifteen souls had streamed through the rift, and more were following. Some of them lunged straight for Adam and Michael - only to dart upwards at the last second - but most of them retreated to the sky almost immediately, circling around them like vultures, ready to strike. Michael swallowed, and Adam took a few steps back, his heart dropping to his stomach.

_Yeah, _Michael muttered, _I don't think I can smite all of them._


	14. Chapter 14

Michael backed away, eyes widening, chest tightening, heart leaping up to his throat in complete, absolute terror as he watched the souls flickering above.

But he wasn't scared for himself. He was scared for Adam; How was he supposed to defend the demon from all of these souls? It had seemed easy when it was just two - but even then, Michael had been in a slight panic. He could feel himself losing it now, steadily and surely, driving himself to the brink of pure, absolute panic. He had used up so much of his power smiting only one of the damned things; There was no way he could handle this many. He could try, but he had no idea what using what was left of his power would do to him, and he didn't want to leave Adam completely defenseless, on the off chance that it knocked him out cold.

They flinched back as another soul swooped down, and Michael snapped his fingers, almost a reflex now that he'd already had a hand raised to do so; The soul vanished in a bright flash at once, and Michael staggered a little, feeling the energy drain from him at once. If it weren't for Adam, holding the both of them up as he was, he'd have crashed to his knees.

The souls could feel him weakening; They wriggled, up above in the air, bringing themselves a little closer to the archangel and the demon. Adam hissed out a sharp warning, which caused only a few of them to retreat; The bolder ones inched closer, almost daring either of them to move; Daring Michael to smite them, to use up what was left of his power. The archangel faltered, pulling his hand back a little, forcing his fingers apart. He couldn't.

Two of the souls shot down at once, but instead of making a straight-forward attack, they lunged in opposite directions; One swerved around them on one side, and the other soul made a beeline for the other side. Michael wanted to turn, heart pounding, but Adam kept them facing forward, not wanting to turn his back on the swarm. The archangel couldn't think; Which made it even better that Adam was there, because he was currently thinking straight enough for the both of them. One of the souls lunged, straight for them; Michael had tensed, waiting for it to swerve upwards, but Adam suddenly launched himself forward right back, snarling.

The soul jerked back at once, seeming startled, and swerved upwards along with the others when Adam lashed out. Their hand closed around empty air, the souls having retreated to the sky again, put off by the demon's sudden outburst and probably rethinking their game plan.

"They're more scared of us than we are of them," Adam mumbled, and, upon closer inspection, he seemed to be right; They only seemed to be attacking when they thought that neither of them could attack back. The moment they moved, or made any real sign of aggression, or anything remotely threatening, they retreated again, uncertain, but still on the attack.

"It's because they- they don't have- physical fo-"

Michael stopped, pupils shrinking.

Pain ripped through his wings, greater than he'd ever felt before; It was enough to bring a scream from the archangel's lips as his back arched. He felt the panic rise up at once, from Adam, but he couldn't focus on anything aside from the pain. It was finally enough to bring them down, tears rising to the corners of his eyes as he bit his tongue, keeping back another scream. Of all the places, it had to be the wings - where an angel was weakest. He could feel the souls ripping at them, clawing at their back, latching into the skin. Adam tried to shake a few of them off, hissing a little from the pain, himself, and Michael struggled to move his wings, trying to get them off so that he could stand up and fight back, or at least _try _to.

They couldn't go down like this - how could he have let his guard down? How could he have gotten Adam into this mess? The archangel clenched their teeth, vaguely tasting blood.

The others had started diving down now, the vultures making their way for the prey now that it was weakened; Adam let out a vicious snarl, but it didn't deter them this time. Michael screwed their eyes shut, their entire body tensing as they waited, holding their breath, the souls ripping away at Michael's wings, claws scoring over feathers and flesh again and again and _again_-

Two gunshots rang through the air, and the claws stopped. The pain didn't fade, not a bit; But it didn't get any worse, so that was good. Breathing heavily, Adam managed to crack their eyes open and look up. Dean and Belphegor stood side by side, each holding a shotgun, while Sam was shooting at the ones in the sky, more focused on taking them down. The relief was dizzying on Michael's end; Adam just spit blood out and forced them up a little, managing to get them up onto only one knee and arching their back a little with a low, pained groan.

"Adam?" Michael mumbled around the coppery liquid, spitting more out onto the ground. He was shaking, whether from the pain or the fear, he couldn't tell; This really had been a bad idea, knowing he wasn't at full strength in any way, and putting Adam in this kind of danger anyway.

"I'm fine," Adam growled, and another snarl was wrenched from his teeth as he pushed them up again, this time managing to make his way completely to their feet. Dean had turned his attention to the souls in the sky, him and Sam struggling to shoot them all down while they zigged and zagged around in a blind panic; Belphegor made his way over to them, however, one hand reaching to steady them while the other gripped the shotgun.

"Idiots," he was mumbling, seeming more angry than anything, "_fools_, what the hell were you thinking? _Michael_, what the hell were you thinking?"

"I wasn't," Michael managed, and Adam turned their head to the side, spitting out the last mouthful of blood and wrenching them out of Belphegor's grip. They stumbled, but stayed upright; The archangel was having a hard time not giving in to the pain searing through his wings. It felt like they had been completely ripped off - the thought alone made him twist his head around just to check, alarmed - but they were still there. Just a little mangled, ripped and bloody in some places, feathers having fallen off and dissolved on the ground.

A screech overhead made Michael flinch; Belphegor raised the shotgun again, shooting at something just behind the archangel and the demon, before lowering it once more. He reached out for them again, but Adam jolted backwards before the maybe-demon could come into contact, his eyes narrowing to slits at the other. Belphegor just stared, teeth clenched. "What?"

"We didn't need your _help_," Adam hissed in response, licking at the blood that had begun to dry around his lips. Belphegor's eyebrows furrowed faintly at the demon, almost skeptically, but he gave no response. Instead, he raised the shotgun again, firing off a round of shots at the sky; More souls had flooded out through the rift in the barrier, and more daring ones at that; They were lashing out at Sam and Dean, and making lunges for Adam and Michael, as well; Michael flinched away from one, in particular, that had gotten too close.

"_Hey_," Belphegor's voice gave both Michael and the soul pause; It screeched to a stop just before it could touch him and Adam, swiveling in Belphegor's direction. Michael took the chance to stumble backwards, ignoring the demon's internal curses as Belphegor raised the shotgun again. "_No_ one dicks with those two but _me_."

The soul screeched and started to lunge upwards, only to dissolve in a flash of orange light as another gunshot rang through the air, and Belphegor lowered the shotgun, satisfied.

Sam and Dean were back to back now, shooting at the souls that just seemed to keep coming. Several of them were circling in the air, while others were diving straight down; They disintegrated, again and again, with each attempt to attack, as the two hunters shot them down just as easily as Belphegor seemed to be handling the ones that were going for Adam and Michael. The archangel was slowly getting dizzy, whether from the pain or the steadily-diminishing power and energy, he had absolutely no idea.

He did know, however, when Sam and Dean tried to shoot again and the only thing that came out was an empty _click_, that they were very, very much screwed. The rift was growing even bigger, souls continuing to fly out, blocking the rift, some of them struggling to get past others; They were multiplying by the second, and the anxiety hit Michael and Adam both at once.

For a moment, Belphegor's eyes narrowed toward the barrier, an odd look crossing his face; In the next instant, he was aiming toward the sky again, alternating between shooting the souls that were attacking Sam and Dean and the souls that were attacking Michael and Adam.

"There's too many," the maybe-demon was mumbling, firing another few rounds in Sam and Dean's direction, then whirling another few shots over Adam and Michael's head. "I'm almost out, and there's too many."

"Son of a bitch," Dean was cursing, checking his pockets rapidly. He must have found something, because in the next second he was loading the shotgun and shooting again.

Michael stepped closer to Belphegor, despite Adam's protests. Like it or not, he was their best chance at surviving this at the moment; Michael was close to passing out as it was, there was no way he'd be able to do anything, as weak as he was now. Sam and Dean were backing toward them, Dean still shooting at the souls that were getting closer, while Sam struggled to dodge the ones that were lunging for him; Belphegor managed to shoot one down just before it could touch the taller hunter, but his attention was more or less focused on the ones that were going for Michael and Adam; The stress was evident on his face, mouth pressed into a thin line.

"I'm out," he finally declared, and dropped the shotgun, deeming it useless now that he was out of ammunition. Dean cursed again, stepping backwards, closer to Sam, as they continued to back toward the other two, only pausing when Dean was beside Belphegor, facing the other direction. "There's too many."

"And I'm almost out, too," Dean hissed, firing off another few shots toward the sky.

"We need to get Sam and Micha out," Belphegor mumbled. Michael spared him a glance, and paused, just for a second. The maybe-demon wasn't even paying attention to him now, head turning side to side as he searched, probably for an exit. The archangel paused, opening his mouth to say something, only to cut off with a sharp gasp when something cold and sharp dug into their shoulder, yanking him and Adam away from the others.

The demon whirled around, snarling, lashing out; But something was gripping their legs, now, and both of their arms, and then their back, and then a sharp, sudden pain ripped through Michael's wing, forcing a yell from the archangel's lips.

"Adam!" That was Sam, his voice somewhat distorted. Everything went slightly blurry for a moment, from Michael's end; The pain was becoming too much, and what was left of his power was slowly but surely deteriorating. A rush of panic enveloped them from Adam's side, the demon's struggles increasing tenfold as he roared and tried to wrench away from the souls.

"_No_-!" Belphegor roared, ready to lunge, shotgun or not. Michael clenched his teeth, finally faltering under the weight of the souls; Dean was shooting, trying to fend them off, but there were too many now. It was getting darker, and darker, and darker…

"_BEGONE, THOT!"_

And then, suddenly, a bright flash of light blurred through the darkness, steadily becoming sharper; Adam almost screwed their eyes shut, but Michael kept them open. Something about the light was familiar, something about the sudden rush of power, the energy that was suddenly blazing around them. The souls screamed, disintegrating, the claws digging into their flesh disappearing in bright beams of white light.

And then they stood, unsteady, the souls gone. None around them, and none in the sky. Gone.

Michael blinked rapidly, struggling to clear the rest of the blurriness from his vision. It was Adam who managed to raise their head, eyes narrowing, squinting and struggling to see what the fuck had just happened, and who the hell had just saved their asses. There were two figures, hard to make out at first, but once Michael managed to blink past the haze that had started to cover his eyes, one of them was all too easy to recognize - their true form, at least, once Michael regained enough energy to look beyond the vessel. The archangel went still, shocked.

A hand tensed around their shoulder; Michael's eyes darted to the side at once, startled, expecting to see another soul. But it was just Belphegor, the maybe-demon holding them up, and even Adam remained still, accepting the support - albeit somewhat reluctantly. Belphegor was silent, jaw set, eyebrows pinched together and mouth shut as tight as possible.

Michael returned his gaze to the figures again, forcing himself to focus on the familiar one. It took a while for the name to rise to their lips, a while for him to be able to sort out his own thoughts. Finally, though, he managed to speak, his voice cracking from the mixture of exhaustion, relief and pain. "... Gabriel?"

Looking down at him, the figure paused, froze, and paled all at the same time. Beside him, the other one quirked an eyebrow, almost questioningly. Sam and Dean had straightened; Sam was gripping his shoulder, and Dean had been busy checking him over. But once they looked over at the other two, they both seemed to stiffen, eyes going wide with shock as their eyes darted back and forth between the two figures, mouths opened but no sounds escaping.

"_Michael?" _Gabriel finally managed to spit the word out, disbelief lacing his tone, but also something else. Something akin to uncertainty, wariness; Not quite fear, but something along those lines. Michael couldn't place it, and trying to made his head hurt.

"Hey, little brother," the archangel managed to mutter, the dizziness returning tenfold. Gabriel just continued to stare, confusion evident on top of everything else. "Long time, no see."

"Well, what an interesting family reunion." The other figure had decided to pipe up, then, sparing Michael and Belphegor an intrigued, yet wary look. Adam turned his focus onto him, at once; It took a moment, but Michael quickly recognized the other being as a demon. "And I do hate to interrupt - believe me, truly, it hurts me on a physical level, but-" The figure turned toward Sam and Dean, quirking an eyebrow and inclining his head toward the barrier. "Care to explain, boys?"


	15. Chapter 15

Adam was… well, livid would be putting it lightly.

On some level, sure, he was beyond pissed off that Michael had landed them in this situation; But beyond that? What he hated even more? What _really _got to him? Was that the archangel hadn't even hesitated in putting _himself _in danger, too. There was no second-guessing until it was too late, the possibility of being hurt not seeming to deter him until he remembered that Adam was involved, too. Adam knew he had completely twisted, flipped ideas of self-worth, but he hadn't thought that the archangel's hatred of himself had gone deep enough for him to genuinely not care about whether he lived or not. He hadn't thought his grief over Lucifer had gone that deep, either. And now Adam didn't know how to feel, but he _was _furious - for so, so many different reasons, he was furious.

And so, he stayed absolutely silent, but remained in control - mostly because, pissed as he was at Michael, he didn't want to leave him to deal with everything. Maybe once they got settled in the school again, sure, but seeing as nobody was moving at the moment, that wouldn't be happening anytime soon. The demon huffed out a low sigh through his teeth, prompting the other archangel - Gabriel - to look toward them again, seeming slightly unnerved.

"_Crowley?" _Dean finally managed to choke out, and Adam's gaze shifted toward his older brother, quirking an eyebrow. Beside them, Belphegor seemed to visibly twitch at the sound of the other demon's name, and a quiet, mumbled curse escaped his lips before he was silent again, shifting back on his feet and keeping a careful hold on Michael and Adam's shoulder. Crowley wiggled his eyebrows at Dean.

"Evening, Squirrel. Wonderful day, isn't it?" The demon tipped his head back, eyeing the sky - Belphegor huffed out an irritated-sounding sigh - and smirked. "Suppose it's always nice when you can actually _see _the sky," he added idly, turning back to the Winchesters. "Listen. I do enjoy that slack-jawed expression on your faces, funny as it is, but an explanation would be nice. Such as…" His gaze flicked toward Belphegor. "Who are you?"

"Jack?" Gabriel sounded distracted, now, his gaze no longer on Michael, but focused on the maybe-demon beside them. In response, Belphegor's knuckles had turned white, he was gripping their shoulder so hard, his head turning briefly in Crowey's direction, then Gabriel's.

"No," Sam started to explain, seeing as Belphegor wasn't about to pipe up anytime soon. "No, he's not… Jack. He's, um-"

"Irrelevant," Belphegor ground out through clenched teeth, and Adam raised an eyebrow at the maybe-demon somewhat skeptically. Michael had surged up again, a sudden burst of energy bringing him back to power, and he narrowed their eyes faintly toward the other as Belphegor shifted another step back, still holding them up with ease. "I think explanations can wait. We've kinda got a weakened archangel and demon, here."

"Demon?" Gabriel's gaze flicked back to Adam and Michael, and the demon spared him a sharp, sarcastic smile in response, his eyes growing a little bit heavier. He was just as exhausted, but it was easier now with Michael in control again, even if both of them were still slipping. Gabriel just stared, the archangel practically radiating confusion, before it diminished all at once into a look of realization, his mouth forming a small "o" shape before it snapped shut.

Crowley just stared at Belphegor, eyes narrowed.

Belphegor just stared back, silent, until Dean finally stepped in to defuse the situation. "Alright, okay, he's got a point. Let's move it on back to the school, come on. Bel, can you fix the salt line?" The hunter inclined his head toward the barrier as he stepped toward Adam and Michael; The demon tensed, noticeably so, and Belphegor immediately pulled the demon and the archangel away from the hunter, turning his head in Dean's direction.

"Yeah, I can." Belphegor turned his head toward Adam and Michael, and the demon just stared at him for a moment before the maybe demon finally - and somewhat reluctantly - released them over to Dean; Sam came up on the other side to support them, while Dean hooked his arm under theirs on the other side. Much as Adam hated it, it was a good thing, too, because neither of them were quite capable of standing right then.

Michael had turned their head to watch Belphegor, silent as the maybe-demon approached the rift, finally able to get close now that there were no more souls streaming through - and their eyes narrowed as he reached out to close it, hand passing through effortlessly even after he had, not at all affected by the salt line. _Demon, my ass, _Adam mumbled. Michael didn't respond.

"C'mon," Sam mumbled to them, rousing the both of them from their thoughts; Adam glanced toward his older brother, a sour expression appearing on his face at once - ignoring the way Sam frowned ever so slightly in response - as they turned to lead them back. Michael let their gaze trail toward Gabriel, locking eyes with him for a second; Adam could feel the unease stirring in his chest as he stared at his brother, before finally looking away again.

Belphegor brushed past Crowley, who simply turned his head to watch him go; Belphegor's head turned slightly in response, as if meeting his gaze, just for a second as he passed; And then he was facing ahead again, approaching Sam, Dean, Adam and Michael with his jaw set and eyebrows raised. "It's not far." His head turned toward the demon and the archangel slightly. "You two alright?"

"Ask again tomorrow, big shot," Adam muttered, and, once again, Michael was unresponsive. Adam thought at first maybe the archangel had finally passed out, but he was still there. Belphegor snorted slightly in response, and seemed to move a little bit closer to them, but for the most part he kept his distance and allowed Sam and Dean to lead them back.

About halfway there, Michael abruptly retreated.

Adam paused, going still for a second, but he kept walking before Sam and Dean could question why he'd stopped. They glanced at him, concerned and confused, but the demon didn't return their stares. After a moment, gazing ahead, the demon shut his eyes and retreated, himself - enough to follow after Michael, at least, and still be in control enough to not be a complete dead weight. Still, he went slightly slack in their arms, and ignored their concerned shouts as he let himself drift away, whisking himself to the back of their mind.

Michael wasn't in either of the parks, or any of the Heaven memories. Adam spent a good while searching for him, almost ready to assume that he was asleep - which he would have thought if the archangel wasn't still there, still conscious. New emotions would rise from him every now and again - anger, confusion, worry - but they all led back to the hollow, painful guilt he'd been feeling for the past few days, the one emotion he could never seem to shake.

A part of Adam insisted that Michael _should _feel guilty for this, for almost getting himself- for almost getting the both of them killed. The rest of him didn't quite agree, but he was far too stubborn to be able to admit that. The demon exhaled, setting his jaw, and continued on.

He finally found Michael in the darkness, pushed back to the furthest corner of their mind. The archangel was pacing, his head in his hands, eyes screwed shut, shaky and unstable; For just a split second, Adam halted, his mind immediately flashing back to the Cage; When Michael would do nothing but pace the floor for hours, mumbling, holding himself tightly as if he was afraid he would fall apart - as if he hadn't already shattered to pieces. It was somewhat reminiscent to that, watching him now, and the mere thought made Adam feel… sick.

"Michael?" The demon finally managed, taking a few steps forward. Michael stopped and turned at once - good, he was at least somewhat responsive - but his gaze only flickered over Adam briefly, a shadow of guilt returning to his face, before he had turned and continued pacing, dropping his arms and wrapping them around himself instead. Adam fell silent, just watching, unsure of what to say or do now.

Michael broke the silence, somewhat reluctantly. "I thought, I thought I could… I thought if I… If I could stop them- if I could protect… I didn't…"

Staring at him, the anger returned; He wasn't even pissed at this point that Michael had put them in danger, he was just pissed that Michael had put himself in danger, almost gotten himself killed, just to prove a damn point to someone who didn't even give a shit. The demon narrowed his eyes slightly, fixing his gaze on the archangel once more. "You thought you could get to Him like that, didn't you?" He demanded, struggling to ignore the way Michael flinched. "You thought if you rushed in there and stopped those souls yourself…"

Michael stayed silent, but he slowed to a stop.

Adam's fury was reaching its peak, now. "You-" He cut off, taking a deep breath, and held it for a good few seconds before he spoke again, teeth clenched. "You fucking _moron_. You thought that almost getting yourself killed would solve _anything?!" _He stepped forward, and Michael turned slightly to face him, but his gaze was fixed upwards, refusing to look at the demon. "Is that how you're going to go about this now, dumbass? _Reckless_ and _stupid? _Putting yourself in danger- almost getting yourself killed- _what the hell_, Michael?! Are you suicidal?!"

"So what if I _am_, Adam?!" Michael finally yelled back, whirling around completely to face him now, his eyes colder than the demon had ever seen before. And it caused him to step back, almost instantly; It wasn't really the shouting that had shocked him, or even the expression on Michael's face, but the words got to him more than anything. "I mean, really, what's the point, huh? _Clearly_, I'm useless either way! _Clearly_, no matter what I do- nothing- _nothing _is ever good enough and nothing will ever make up for what I've done, and clearly there's nothing I can do against him now- so what-" The archangel broke off, almost choking on his words, and screwed his eyes shut, "what the hell is the _point?"_

"... so you're just going to lay down and die," Adam's voice shook as he spoke, a lot more than he cared for, but he continued regardless. "You're going to give up- because- of _God."_

"_No,_ I'm not going to give up, I-" Michael forced his eyes open, blinking rapidly to force back the tears that had welled up. "I just thought- _Fuck_, I thought I could- if I just- went against what He wanted, for _once_, I thought I could make Him notice- make Him see…"

"_Everybody _goes against God, Michael!" Adam snapped, unsure whether to be angry or concerned, so he settled on a mixture of both. "Everybody rebels, every now and again-"

"But I _don't_, Adam!" Michael snarled, "I don't and I _never _have! I've always been the good son, the soldier, the warrior, the loyal archangel - and it's all been for nothing! All of it! Everything I've ever done, every time I've ever tried to please Him, every order I've obeyed, every command, it's all been for _nothing_ because He- He doesn't _care!"_

"So _what?!" _Adam threw one hand up, his fury only intensifying further. "I mean, Jesus _Christ_, Michael, you heard Belphegor - He's probably in another fucking universe, by now! He's _done_, man, He's _gone_! A- A little rebellion, or- whatever the hell it is you're trying to do- that's not going to bring Him back! And to be honest, I don't see the damn _point!"_

"The point?" Michael shook his head a little, his face contorted in a mixture of disbelief and fury. "Don't you get it, Adam? There is no _damn point! _There's us, and then there's Him - and compared to that, we're nothing! We've always been nothing! And- and maybe- maybe _this _is all for nothing too, but I- I want-" He gritted his teeth, pain breaking through the anger for a second. "I want Him to _pay_ for what He's done, to- to humanity, to Lucifer…"

Adam dropped his hand, staring at him. The anger didn't quite leave, but there was a slight twinge of understanding, a realization; He didn't just want God's attention, he wanted vengeance, justice for his brother. But, really, how did he expect to get that? Especially when he was hurling himself straight into the fire? Putting himself right in front of the loaded gun?

"So you…" Adam narrowed his eyes. "Your big plan… is to _kill yourself_… to get justice for your brother, Michael?" He rolled his eyes slightly. "That makes a whole lot of sense, buddy."

"I made a _mistake_, okay?" Michael breathed, running his fingers through his hair now, almost desperately. "I miscalculated- and I'm _sorry_, Adam, I'm really, really sorry. The last thing I want- the last thing I want is to lose _you_, too, and I never meant to put you in danger, but I-" At this, Adam finally snapped, throwing both of his hands down and storming forward.

"God _dammit _you fucking idiot, don't you get it?! It's not _me_ I'm worried about!" The demon yelled, and the archangel jerked back a little, looking startled. "Okay?! I just- I just don't want _you- _ugh, I don't even-" The demon faltered to a stop, but the anger didn't fade; If anything, it seemed to intensify. "I just- you're going off about God and Lucifer- and I get it, okay? I miss Luce too. I do! But I…" Adam stopped, trailing off, and went still.

Michael was just staring at him, leaning back slightly, wide-eyed with nothing but absolute concern and confusion, his own anger seeming to have rapidly diminished and just disappeared. "You…?" He pressed after a second, his voice quieter, shaking with an emotion that Adam couldn't quite place.

The demon faltered again, glancing up at him. He was beyond angry; He was _worried_. Hell, he was downright scared. If something happened to Michael - whatever it was, whether he got himself hurt, or gave in to the insanity again, or broke down - Adam didn't know what he would do. For so long, the archangel had basically been his rock; And to see him in this state was terrifying, and _worrying_, because Adam didn't know if even Michael was capable of coming back from this. Capable of fighting the betrayal, and the pain that was clinging to him, the _grief_.

He was scared of Michael losing himself - he was scared of losing _Michael_, and that's what he'd been terrified of all along. That's why he'd been anxious to leave the Cage, because the archangel might not need him anymore; He might _leave_. And that's what he was worried about now - that maybe this really was all too much for Michael, and in whatever way, he'd end up losing him. Just like he'd lost everything else.

A myriad of emotions flitted across Michael's face, his gaze never leaving Adam's. There was shock, and then confusion, and then worry, and then disbelief - and then, finally, there was the realization, and the archangel seemed to falter. "Adam, I…" Michael swallowed, straightening up again. "I'm not going to- I'm not going to _leave_, I- I haven't even- I haven't even _considered_…"

Adam didn't respond for a moment, simply letting his gaze flick away.

"I know I've been a little-" Michael stopped, hesitating, before starting again. "I know I've been distant lately. I'm sorry, I- I just, there's so many things to do, I'm so…" The archangel faltered, and Adam shook his head a little and sighed, running his fingers through his hair and stepping back. Michael glanced up, his tired gaze focusing on the demon. "But I'm not leaving. Not- not unless you say you want me to."

Adam set his jaw slightly, looking down. "What I _want _is for you to stay alive, Michael."

"And I _will_," Michael insisted, frowning.

"Not if you're so _reckless_, you won't," Adam snapped, but there was no real bite to his words now, just a tired desperation. "You can't just rush in head first whenever you hear there's danger. There's other ways to get His attention - there has to be! But getting yourself killed isn't going to solve anything. And it's not going to bring Luce back, either."

Michael flinched a little, but he stayed silent, his gaze dropping to the ground. Adam closed his eyes for a moment, the rest of his energy seeming to drain from him; He was already tired, and fighting with Michael wasn't helping matters. He just wanted to sleep - everyone else be damned, I mean, who could blame him for needing a small rest? But he wasn't about to leave his body-buddy to worry about everyone else, either, not when he was so stressed as it was.

"Adam, go rest," Michael muttered, shaking his head a little. "Stop worrying about me so much. Yeah, I'm stressed, but-" He puffed his cheeks out, huffing out a low sigh. "But nothing's going to help that right now. And- and honestly, keeping myself busy is the best thing for me right now."

"As in getting yourself killed or working yourself so hard that you pass out?" Adam retorted, shaking his head a little bit and blinking his eyes open once more. He spared the archangel a glance, frowning. Michael was right - he'd been far too stressed lately, and even Adam couldn't seem to help that. The archangel spared him a desperate look, clearly not wanting to restart their earlier conversation - well, argument - and Adam sighed.

"Go rest," Michael mumbled. "I'll deal with everyone else."

Adam stared at him for a moment, narrowing his eyes.

"... and then I'll rest, too," the archangel gave in, raising his eyebrows at Adam slightly. "Satisfied?"

"Never," Adam replied quietly, but he stepped back, somewhat reluctantly. His gaze lingered on the archangel, quiet and thoughtful, but whatever he was going to say was dismissed almost immediately.

Turning around, he started to head through the darkness despite his initial hesitation - only for a hand to clasp down over his shoulder, abruptly pulling him back and turning him back around; And then Adam was being pulled into a hug, soft, and warm, everything he remembered a hug to be - but he hadn't been embraced in so long, too long, that he tensed up at the contact. Michael didn't pull away, though, undeterred by the demon's uncertainty. "... what's this for?"

"Nothing," Michael admitted, quiet. He finally pulled away, a slight smile appearing on his face at the sight of the demon's bewildered expression, all of his rage seemingly having evaporated just like that. "Everything," the archangel added, quietly, before huffing out a low sigh. "You're like a brother to me, Adam. Just… don't worry about…" He trailed off, glancing up. "I'm not leaving."

Adam was silent, just staring. After a moment, however, he simply nodded, and Michael pulled away, seeming satisfied. "Now go rest," he sighed. "I'll join you soon."

"Mhm." Adam studied him for a moment, then opened his mouth. Words failed him, at the last second, whatever he was about to say once more slipping right off of his tongue, and after a moment, the demon simply snapped his mouth shut, looked away, before finally managing to turn and leave, his chest aching with a mixture of confusion and concern.


	16. Chapter 16

Blinking his eyes open, Michael felt the pain in his wings hit him at full force.

It was easier to deal with when he had retreated to the back of their mind; The pain had faded to the background, nothing more than a bearable ache in his back, something he could deal with rather easily. Now, however, taking full control again, the pain hit him all at once, sharp and stabbing, feeling as if he had put the wings through a shredder; Or, better yet, as if he had fallen, as if he had cracked every bone in the damn things, as if they had been shattered and crushed to nothing but dust. A groan broke through his clenched teeth, struggling to stand-

Only for a hand to push down against his back, pressing him firmly against a flat surface. A blur of blue drifted into his focus - enough for the archangel to realize he was back in the damn nurse's office he had taken to sleeping in when he and Adam needed to rest - but confusion flickered through his eyes for a second, his gaze darting up at once. The hand on his back didn't move - but, he noted, they were being extra careful to avoid touching his wings, and-

… It was Gabriel.

"Easy, brother. Stay still." Gabriel squinted down at him, looking faintly surprised; Whether by his lack of protest to being held down, or simply the fact that Michael was out of the Cage now, the archangel truly had absolutely no idea. Gabriel was the fickle one; Out of all of his siblings, it was hardest to figure him out. His feelings, his thoughts. He kept everything so frustratingly hidden, kept up such a perfectly shaped facade - sometimes, honestly, it had felt like he was a completely different angel, a complete flip in personality, in character.

Of course, he hadn't seen his brother in… millennia. He didn't know how Gabriel was now - come to think of it, hadn't he died, all those years ago, by Lucifer's hand? Michael's face scrunched up slightly, his confusion betraying him as his gaze flicked away from his brother.

He half-expected some loud, sarcastic remark from Adam; For the demon to shove his brother away and sit them up himself, snapping, trying to declare independence and that they were just _fine _to be able to move on their own, thank-you-very-much. But there was nothing, not even a spark of defiance or irritation. It was… hollow. Not even remotely peaceful; If anything, it was beyond _unnerving_. He could sense him, but he couldn't _feel _him, and that…

Well, it didn't quite settle well with the archangel. It felt like he was missing a part of himself. A big, important part. An anchor.

"Boy, you are a sorry sight," Gabriel was muttering, passing his hand over Michael's back. The archangel tensed as his fingers brushed against his aching wings, bringing to life a very small but _sharp _throb of pain, and Michael clenched his teeth shut tightly as Gabriel only sighed. "You know, it's just a little bit unnerving, seeing you so… weak and defenseless."

Michael glanced up at him, tired eyes roaming his brother's face.

There was no emotion evident in Gabriel's expression; He was almost completely relaxed, moving his hand back up Michael's back again. For a moment, the archangel was confused - until, finally, he managed to twist around enough to see what his brother was doing. His fingers were glowing, faintly, pausing over certain spots and roaming carelessly over others. He was _healing _him. Gabriel was _healing him_.

For a moment, the archangel almost protested, but stopped. Only because Adam might be in pain from the injuries, too - Michael certainly didn't want Gabriel wasting his powers just on him, but for Adam… well, he couldn't quite object to that. So he settled again, sparing Gabriel one last, hesitant look before he lowered his head into his arms, burying his face against the cot and letting out a low, slightly shaky sigh. Gabriel paused.

"You're so different now," his brother muttered, finally pulling his hands away. "It's weird, I… I don't think I've ever seen you so…" He trailed off, seemingly searching for a word; Michael lifted his head again and looked up at him, shifting slightly; He really wanted to roll over onto his back, laying on his stomach just felt uncomfortable as all hell, but he didn't move. The archangel lifted his gaze to the other, pausing, before slowly putting his head back down.

"Pathetic?" Michael offered up in response, his voice muffled as he pressed his face deeper into his arms. "Useless?" Adam would likely be objecting by now - hell, he'd be insulting Michael for insulting himself, to be completely honest. The archangel frowned a little, shutting his eyes.

"Ehhh… I was going to say _quiet,_ but that works, I guess," Gabriel replied easily enough, actually seeming amused. He reached out again, this time placing his hand at the base of one of Michael's wings. The archangel jumped at this, head snapping up again, tensing as if to turn around but not quite moving from his position. Gabriel only applied the slightest pressure, just enough to keep him down in case Michael did try to move. "Hey, easy, try'na help, here."

"It's fine, honestly-" Michael breathed, his hands shaking slightly, but he couldn't bring himself to force his brother away. Of course, he knew Gabriel was only trying to help, but his wings _hurt_, and the applied pressure was making it feel like they were shattering even further.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow at him skeptically. "Oh, okay, so you _want _to be in pain for the rest of your life?" He questioned, a dry smile appearing on his face. "Michael, big bro, I can tell you from experience that a torn wing hurts like a _bitch_, and yours aren't pretty. So you can either relax and let me do my thing, or, you know, you can tell me to stop and I'll just let you hurt. The choice is yours, really," he added, all too casually, leaving Michael reeling.

First of all - seriously, what had even happened to his brother? For all his snark, and all his energy, there was an edge to his words now, something else simmering at the surface, some emotion bubbling up that Michael couldn't quite place. Close to the wariness Dean displayed, but in an entirely different way - if the archangel didn't know any better…

Michael stared at Gabriel, silent, but finally relaxed - well, as much as he could due to the pain rushing through his wings. The other archangel quirked an eyebrow, almost seeming smug - it almost made him want to roll his eyes at his brother, but he couldn't even muster the energy to do that - before Gabriel turned his attention back to the wings, eyes narrowed in concentration.

"So," Gabriel started conversationally, running his hand up the length of one of the wings; Michael had to bite his tongue to keep back a yelp as another sharp throb of pain rushed through him. "What's it like being roommates with a demon? Probably be a little too stuffy for me, if I'm honest. Kinda crowded, lotta conflict…"

Michael blinked at that, shoulders shaking slightly - he really, really hated feeling his brother's hands on his wings. Belphegor's words flashed through his mind - _maybe you just have trust issues _\- and it made the archangel falter for a second. He struggled with that, the darkness threatening to rise up and take him over at any moment, he struggled with the knowledge that the maybe-demon had been right; Maybe he really was just so broken now, so twisted beyond repair, that he couldn't even trust his own brother.

The anxiety hit him all at once; No Adam there to talk sense into him, no Adam to speak for him when Michael couldn't speak for himself, no Adam to insist that he was just being crazy, panicking over nothing. No Adam to console him - in his own way - to comfort him, to calm him.

No Adam to remind him that there _was _someone he _did _trust.

"Uh, Earth to Douchebag?" Gabriel was snapping his fingers in front of Michael's face when the archangel finally managed to focus, mostly because his brother now had his other hand on his shoulder, shaking him lightly but firmly, just enough to pull him out of his thoughts. It was enough to make the archangel cringe away, instantly pushing himself to sit up, the pain in his wings be damned, as he jerked away from his brother, breathing heavily.

Gabriel just stared at him, clearly completely, utterly flabbergasted. "Okay, so, that was kinda freaky. You totally just spaced on me- which, for the record, you literally never used to do before. I mean, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were having a panic- attack…" The archangel trailed off, eyes narrowing slightly as the realization hit. "Ohhh. Yeah, that makes sense…"

"I-" Michael sucked in a deep breath, holding it for a second - slowly, in and out, he tried to force himself to remember, to keep himself calm, but he couldn't. He didn't know how to keep himself steady in this situation; When it was Adam panicking, he had been able to help the demon. And when Michael was on the verge of anxiety, himself, Adam had always been able to talk him down. This was an entirely new situation; Here he was, facing his _brother_ \- who was supposed to be dead - _no_ Adam, _no _demon, _completely, _one-hundred percent _alone _in his own head.

A shudder ran down his spine at the thought, visibly shaking him, and he watched Gabriel seem to tense ever so slightly in response, staring at the other archangel with a mixture of bewilderment, disbelief and shock. It certainly didn't help, having his brother's eyes fixed on him the way they were, seeing the state that the once all-powerful archangel was in now.

It made him feel even worse than he already did, so he resorted to burying his face into his hands, digging his fingers into his hair. He could feel it all unraveling now; It was like Adam had been the tape, the glue, holding him together - the only thing, now, keeping him from completely shattering into the millions of bits and pieces he had fallen apart into in the Cage. It was all catching up, as if making up for lost time; The anxiety, the confusion, the pain, the panic, the insanity. Crawling back, no longer creeping around the edges of his mind, but finally attacking, now that the demon was dormant, the glue melting, the tape peeling.

"Michael?" Gabriel spoke tentatively now, every trace of his arrogance gone, worry lacing his tone as he inched toward his older brother. Michael flinched back when he reached out, causing the other archangel to recoil immediately. "Whoa, hey, hey- just, calm down, brother…"

"Can't," was the only thing Michael could mumble, his voice shaking violently on just that one, simple word. He couldn't do this; He couldn't hold himself together. How could he? He was just- he was _useless_, he was _weak_, he was _broken _and _alone_. Hell, maybe he didn't even deserve to be able to pull himself together now, maybe he didn't _deserve_ to be stable, maybe that's why he was like this now, coming undone, breaking apart.

Yep, no, that was it, he was spiraling.

He could feel himself sinking, desperate for something to hold onto, something to cling onto - and his first reaction was to search for Adam, to try and catch a hint of the familiar irritation, the angry, protective understanding, the reluctant worry. Adam truly was his anchor, but that had been completely ripped away. He tried to console himself, to tell himself Adam was still _there_, he was still there, just- just _resting_, resting like he needed to, but it didn't work. Each passing second was just more weight on his chest, more fire to his lungs.

If he'd known it would be so hard to function without Adam, he wouldn't have taken control again. He would've retreated with the demon, rested along with him, done anything to avoid the horrible, confusing, twisting anxiety that had flared.

"Hey- _hey_, what's going on? What did you do?" That voice was familiar - that voice, that voice… it was the maybe-demon, right? The one Adam hated so much, the annoying one that constantly taunted them - Belphegor, Belphegor, that was his name- well, that's what he said his name was. He sounded angry, but there was a slight edge of panic to his tone - oh, panic - the word made Michael think back to his own panic, which only caused his anxiety to intensify.

"Excuse me, _I _didn't do anything, he just started flipping out," Gabriel was defending himself now, sounding just as angry, but more indignant. Michael blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision enough to focus on the two. "I- who are you again? You seem- familiar- but I mean… not Jack-familiar… weird… wait a second…"

"Nevermind that, what the hell?!" Belphegor was forcing his way forward now, shoving past Gabriel, who now seemed even more indignant, as well as annoyed. Michael shuddered and shook his head a little bit, struggling to focus even further now - he was familiar to Gabriel, too? That was definitely odd. And who the hell was Jack, anyway? Michael had heard him mentioned, but he'd never really gotten an explanation. Jeez, he really couldn't keep his thoughts steady- oh, and now someone was touching his shoulders, fantastic.

"I wouldn't-" Gabriel started to warn.

"Michael." Belphegor brushed him aside all too easily, giving the archangel a light shake - he winced, more from the movement than anything, but he still couldn't quite force himself to focus yet, his mind still racing. Adam would be able to keep him on track, Adam would be able to make him focus, Adam would be able to knock some sense into him- "_Micha_."

Everything froze.

His vision didn't clear, but his mind did. Everything seemed to still, and then it was like his brain was rewinding, sucking all of the anxious, split-second, whirlwind tornado thoughts straight back in. That word, that one word, it made only one face pop into his head, only one person. And it left him dizzy, confusion and grief overpowering the anxiety, bubbling up over the panic, before it all suddenly seemed to go numb, too overwhelmed by his own emotions to process anything else at that moment. His breathing quickened, not out of fear, but pain.

This time, when his vision blurred, it was from the tears.

Unfortunately, though, once the archangel's panic had subsided, the exhaustion rose up again, at full force. So he only managed to choke out a quiet - "Lucifer…", only managed to catch a glimpse of the way Belphegor's shoulders tensed - before everything went black.


	17. Chapter 17

Adam woke up… cold.

He was in the park - the first park, the 'safe place', just for old time's sake. He had fallen asleep under one of the swings, peaceful at first… but then everything had suddenly gotten darker. Much, _much _darker. He hadn't dreamed of anything - truth be told he couldn't remember the last time he actually had a dream - but there was just something off, and he could feel it, even in unconsciousness. And now, being awake again, it was almost stronger. A horrible, confused twisting in his gut, the realization that something was, most certainly, indefinitely _wrong_, and he couldn't tell if it was coming from Michael or himself. Either way, it was unsettling.

The demon wriggled his way out from under the swingset, mumbling a quiet curse under his breath as he accidentally bumped his head against one of the chains - even though it didn't hurt - before he finally managed to make his way to his feet. He shook his head a little bit, trying to shake off the last bit of exhaustion, still clinging to him uncomfortably.

He couldn't sense anything from Michael - dammit, the archangel must be sleeping. He couldn't help the slight disappointment, even though he knew that the demon had needed the rest more than he did. He just hated the idea of being awake without him, having to function without him. Of course - of course he _could_, hah, he didn't _need _Michael to function… that much… right? Adam shook his head, too tired to even convince himself, and turned to glance around the park. No Michael; The archangel had said he'd join him, but… oh, maybe he'd just found somewhere else to sleep. It was probably nothing…

… yeah, Adam's overprotectiveness wasn't letting him believe that one.

The demon sighed, rubbing at his eyes as he headed off, slowly and dazedly, still practically half-asleep at the moment. The park faded into darkness with each step he took, bringing himself closer to the front of his mind, but not close enough to leave the swirl of memories. All of the main ones, the ones that had been brought up to the front of their mind, were empty; But, thankfully enough, Adam found Michael just as he was about to turn back to head deeper into their mind, wondering if the archangel had just stuck himself in one of the old memories, the ones that had been shoved to the far back, still collecting dust. Wouldn't be the first time, but…

No, not the case. Michael was just curled up in the darkness, completely limp. As Adam neared, though, he could tell something was off; He was laying in a rather uncomfortable position, twitching every so often, face scrunching up every now and again and his teeth clenched together tightly. He didn't look like he was having a very pleasant rest, at all.

"Even asleep," Adam muttered under his breath, slowing himself to a stop and kneeling down beside the restless archangel, looking down at him with a mixture of disappointment, irritation and concern glittering through his dark gaze, "you manage to stress yourself out…"

As if in response to his words, Michael curled up a little tighter.

The warning bells in Adam's head seemed to get a little louder as he reached out to the other, pressing one hand onto Michael's shoulder firmly but lightly. The touch made the archangel startle - the demon could feel him jolt, twitch and stiffen the second his eyes snapped open - but otherwise, Adam was able to hold him firmly in place, his hand steady on the other's shoulder and the other one raised slightly, just in case. He'd never had to wake Michael from a nightmare before, so this was an entirely new experience - as well as a concerning one.

But, whereas he was able to hold Michael steady on the outside, he didn't have the same effect from the inside. The rush of anxiety that hit them both was _hell_, and it seemed to be coming completely from Michael's side, growing stronger with each passing second. The warning bells turned to sirens not too long after that, the demon's head swimming with a mixture of panic, confusion and concern, and it took him a good few seconds to force himself out of it.

"_Jesus_, Michael, _hey_," the demon finally managed to snap out through clenched teeth, trying to fight his way past the dizzying amount of anxiety that was pulsing through him. Seriously, what had Michael been dreaming about that had sent him into this? "_Relax_, would you?"

For just a second, Michael seemed to still at the sound of his voice. He blinked, rapidly, as if he couldn't quite see, before whirling his head around to finally look up at the demon. It took him a few seconds of staring, confused eyes searching Adam's face desperately, worriedly, as if he might disappear at any given second - before a rush of relief suddenly cracked through, the anxiety slowly dissipating as the archangel faltered, and then relaxed, slowly but surely.

"There we go," Adam mumbled, pulling his hand away, but only so that he could grab the archangel by the front of his shirt with both hands to pull him up into a sitting position, steadying him carefully with a small, irritated, but worried frown on his face. "C'mon, asshole. Just breathe, or whatever. Like you told me, 'member? Slow and steady," he repeated what Michael had instructed him to do before, back in Stull Cemetery.

Michael only nodded, pressing his eyes shut. It took a few tries, but the archangel finally managed a deep, steady breath in, and held it for a good few seconds before letting it out slowly. Adam only nodded along, keeping quiet as he watched the archangel.

He wanted to know what had happened, what was so bad that it had brought him to this point, but he refrained from asking. More or less because he didn't want to risk him spiraling again.

"M'sorry," Michael suddenly mumbled, drawing Adam's thoughts back to the archangel. The demon only blinked, staring at the other in faint confusion, as well as mild irritation - what, exactly, was the archangel apologizing for? But Michael only shook his head, lifting a shaky hand to grasp at Adam's wrist, and pulled them both to their feet. He seemed a little steady, but that didn't stop the demon from steeling himself as they stood, ready to catch him if needed. "Thank you."

"Yeah, shut up." Adam glanced away, letting his gaze roam around through the darkness for a moment, just to avoid the awkward thank-you-you're-welcome moment that was about to come. Yeah, not on his watch, it wasn't. Michael's lips twitched, a quiet laugh escaping his lips, somewhat breathless. After a moment, reluctant, the demon spared him another glance. "So are you good now, or whatever…?"

Michael managed a tiny, if not hesitant smile, as if he wasn't quite sure. "Yeah."

The demon narrowed his eyes at the archangel, ever so slightly, almost doubtful, but he nodded. The archangel released his wrist and turned to look around as well, a faint frown settling across his face for a second; A few shapes flickered through his mind, a little blurry, some hazy voices breaking through. He caught a glimpse of the archangel Gabriel, and then Belphegor, and the words "_Micha" _and "_Lucifer"_ were dropped…

Michael tensed, and Adam's gaze slowly flickered back to the archangel. He looked confused, but there was something else evident in his expression now. Close to disbelief, but simultaneously weaker and stronger at the same time. As if one part of him was aching to hope, but the rest of him was forcing the emotions down just as easily. The demon narrowed his eyes slightly as he turned, letting his gaze flicker around again. "What happened?"

The archangel opened his mouth, sighed, then simply brought the memory, playing it through in his mind and letting Adam watch through. He narrowed his eyes a little, having some trouble making out the blurry shapes and the slurred, quiet words, but by the time the memory was over, he got the basic point; Michael had a panic attack, Gabriel had failed at calming him down, then Belphegor had come in and…

"He couldn't be…" Michael was mumbling under his breath, "could he…?"

Adam stared at him for a moment, then turned his head. The way Belphegor acted toward them… well, it was starting to make _sense_, it was, but- Lucifer didn't _lie_. Didn't that include pretending to be someone else? And wouldn't he have said something to _them_, at least? Michael seemed to falter with each thought, but he was nodding, almost forced, agreeing, but hating it at the same time. Adam didn't particularly like it, himself. As much as he'd like to believe there was a chance that Lucifer was alive after all… he'd never been an optimist.

And he didn't want Michael to get his hopes up, only to be crushed immediately.

The archangel was silent, now, and the demon finally looked up to spare him a glance. Hope was one of the things they didn't share; While Michael didn't quite hope, he always wished for the best, regardless. Adam, on the other hand, didn't waste his time trying to hope, or wish, or anything of the sort; It was what it was, and no amount of hoping could change that. Sure, on occasion, he could slip - who didn't? - but for the most part, he caught himself.

This time, though, he found himself sharing Michael's hope. Just a little.

"Guess we should be heading back…" Michael trailed off, seeming a little nervous about that. Adam raised his eyebrows slightly at the archangel, forcing himself out of his own thoughts and taking another brief look around the darkness. Then, giving nothing more than a nod, he stepped toward the archangel, sparing him a glance and quirking an eyebrow.

"Let's go then, halo."

The archangel's lips twitched, and Adam carefully fought back his own smile as he turned away, easily bringing himself back to full control. He retracted it after a second, only slightly, just so Michael could rise up to share with him. And, while he waited for the archangel to do so, the demon heaved them both up into a sitting position, keeping them propped up with his hands behind him on the cot. He recognized the nurse's office, at once, of course.

Gabriel and Belphegor were still there, and it was somehow startling, and yet not, at the same time. The archangel was pacing in front of the door, while the maybe-demon was standing leaned back against the desk, arms crossed, a scowl written across his face and his head inclined downwards. However, both he and Gabriel turned the second Adam had sat up, both wearing identical yet different expressions of relief.

Michael took half control barely a second later, seeming oddly content - only for it to melt into a disorienting amount of confusion when he saw the scene in front of them. Adam quirked their eyebrows at the other two, while Michael's gaze immediately went straight to Belphegor, who seemed to visibly pause for a second before shouldering himself away from the desk and taking a step toward them. "Good, you're awake. Liiiiisten, clearly, we need to, uh… talk-"

"Hey- _no_," Gabriel abruptly snapped, shoving himself away from the door and taking a few steps toward them. Belphegor's head twitched in his direction, an irritated expression replacing the disbelief. "Nuh-uh, you, other side of the room," Gabriel demanded, pointing back toward the desk. "I still don't trust you. Michael's weak enough."

Adam didn't miss the way Michael seemed to falter at the words, easily redirecting his attention to the archangel's brother. He practically snarled, seeming to startle all of them - Michael included - as he leaned forward and bared his teeth at Gabriel. "You wanna fuckin' die?"

Gabriel narrowed his eyes back down at him, recovering easily. "I'm a bad bitch. You can't kill me." At this, Belphegor actually _snorted_, as if that was funny - Adam and Michael were just left completely bewildered, glancing between the two. The tension returned easily enough, at least, the second Gabriel had redirected his attention to Belphegor. "What'd I tell you? _Go_."

"I don't think you can _make _me, Gabriel," Belphegor responded dryly.

"That's not something you want to test me on," Gabriel warned, a very faint spark of blue entering his gaze before it had faded. Belphegor quirked an eyebrow, but for the most part, he seemed more than unimpressed. Finally, however, he seemed to brush the archangel off and turned away, back to Adam and Michael, who were both becoming more and more confused.

"I've got a lot of explaining to do. I don't have time to squabble with you," he told Gabriel, taking another daring step toward Adam and Michael - the former of which started to snarl again, but Michael shushed him quickly - and turning his head slightly once more to look toward Gabriel. "Maybe later, though, you know. You'd have time to make yourself some candy cane swords."

"I don't do that anymore-"

"_Sure_ you don't."

"Okay- okay," Adam interrupted, honestly growing irritated now, watching the two of them bicker back and forth. Michael was silent, for the most part, almost puzzled, and yet somehow understanding at the same time. The realization was slowly creeping in, for both of them, and yet both of them were hesitant to believe it. "Can one of you just…"

"Explain?" Michael cut in, more pleading than irritated, more desperate for information.

"Before I rip both of your throats out through your mouth?" Adam added, narrowing his eyes, and Michael took a moment to reign him in again after that, radiating both disapproval and, yet, strangely, an odd amount of relief at the same time. Gabriel just stared at them, almost blankly, while Belphegor - smirking all the while - turned away from the archangel once more to focus his attention on the other two, approaching the cot once more despite Gabriel's protests.

"Well, to put it bluntly." Belphegor raised his hands slightly, his smirk easily turning into a wide, somewhat wild grin - one that irritated Adam, and worried Michael. "Hey, big bro. Big bro's pet demon. Luci here."


	18. Chapter 18

_So, basically, this is what was happening in the Empty before "Bel" possessed Jack's body. Just to explain, this does briefly go back in time, set in the past kind of like a flashback; The following chapters will, once more, be set back in the present. ^^_

* * *

Lucifer was losing it. Slowly, but surely, he was losing it. Somehow, this was even worse than the Cage; Even worse than sitting alone in complete isolation, hearing the flames crackle against the bars. At least, in Hell, there was a tiny bit of light; At least, in Hell, there were things to touch, to ground himself, to remember that he wasn't trapped in total nothingness, and so there had to be a way to break free. If he could touch it, he could break it. That was what he told himself. In here, however…?

He couldn't touch anything. It was an endless prison of darkness; Complete, total darkness. It didn't matter whether his eyes adjusted to it or not, there was _nothing_ to see. He was alone, completely and truly, and he hated it. The Devil didn't think he'd be able to escape from this. He almost had - thanks to his vessel, Nick, the poor sap… but that had been foiled, interrupted, before he could get out. And that only made it worse; He'd had freedom right there, just within his reach, and it made him want it all the more. He couldn't stand isolation - but more than that, he couldn't stand being isolated in. Literally. _Nothing._

At the moment, he was just walking. There had to be some kind of end - unless it was looping him around and around? Every part of him ached to _leave_, desperate to get out…

"Morning, Lucifer."

Lucifer jumped, whirling around at once - having been unable to interact with anything or _anyone_, of course it was a little surprising when he was suddenly being spoken to. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust - okay, that's a lie, it took a good five minutes of squinting and staring to be able to see who was standing in front of him. He recognized her, if only vaguely, and his eyebrows shot up the second he registered who she was. "Oh, hey… _heeeyyyy_, I know you." He snapped his fingers, taking a few steps forward. "Billie, right?"

Billie just nodded, ever so slowly, stoic and calm as ever. Lucifer raised his eyebrows, not moving his gaze from her. He was tense, wary, but oddly intrigued - and _glad_ for the company, because damn, he had missed actually having contact with people more than he'd thought. He wasn't an overly social Devil, but it was still nice to talk to people every now and again… He pursed his lips, silent for a moment, then crossed his arms.

"So, uh, is there a reason to this social call?"

"Yeah, there is." … oh, that voice was familiar, in the worst way. Lucifer's entire body tensed up, slowly turning around to see who was there, and he inhaled slowly as his gaze rested on none other than his son. He was left spiraling, wondering when the hell _he _had even arrived - when he had _died_, hell, _how _he had died, as Jack glanced up at him. "Lucifer," he greeted, coldly.

"Son," Lucifer greeted back, somewhat uncertainly despite himself. He knew he had messed up beyond measure with the kid - and he had stopped trying to fix that a while ago. He ruined every other relationship he had with… well, pretty much anyone, and if it was already ruined…

Then why bother?

Of course he felt guilty. He felt guilty over most things that he did, the people that he hurt. He felt guilty for stealing his son's power; He felt guilty for abandoning his brother and Adam; Hell, in some stupid, twisted way, he felt guilty about Nick. There were only a few things he didn't feel guilty about - targeting the Winchesters, and rebelling. He felt justified, and extremely so, in those cases. But, in others… even if it had felt like he had no choice but to do the things that he did, like it wasn't really him making the decisions, but he _was_ \- he felt guilty beyond belief.

Which made him angry.

… which made him lash out even more. Which made him feel worse - and then he felt angry - you see the cycle here? It was endless. Lucifer's mistakes were _endless_.

"We need to talk, Lucifer," Billie spoke, brushing past Lucifer - the Devil leaned away slightly, though he didn't particularly mind the contact. If anything, a part of him somewhat ached for it, but his pride wouldn't let him admit that, wouldn't let him enjoy it. He watched, eyes narrowed faintly as Billie walked up to Jack, circling around him before stopping on his other side, facing Lucifer. "It's about your Father."

Lucifer quirked an eyebrow. Ah, so this was about God. But he had to wonder, what was the problem now, and why was his Father involved in the first place? Lucifer hadn't spoken to Him in… well, a while. Not since his alliance with the Winchesters, to defeat Amara. Not since his Father had actually apologized for the way He had wronged Lucifer, the things He had done - only to abandon him, yet again, the second Lucifer wasn't useful anymore.

The Devil narrowed his eyes, a small scowl settling across his face now. "I'm listening."

"I figured you were," Billie responded curtly, folding her arms across her chest and leaning back slightly on her feet. "Well, I'm not going to sugarcoat, so here it is; God opened every door in Hell, and now he's planning to leave. Find another playground, build another sandcastle." She arched an eyebrow at him expectantly, "if you catch my drift."

Lucifer just stared at her, torn between surprise and disgust. Tch, it was just like his Father, wasn't it, to just abandon His duties. Of course, the whole "opening every door in Hell" part was a little… odd? Not quite what he was expecting to hear. The Devil narrowed his eyes a little bit more. Honestly, it was kind of sad that the only thing he was surprised about was the idea of his Father opening the gates of Hell. Otherwise, the fact that He had left… _honestly _wasn't shocking when you considered who they were talking about. "'Kay?"

"Except, He hasn't left yet," it was Jack who was speaking now, a deep frown settled across his son's face. Lucifer's gaze flickered to him at once. "Billie said He's too weak right now."

"He is," Billie agreed, eyes narrowing. "For now. But not weak enough. As long as He remains in this universe, He's a threat. And not only that, He's thrown the Natural Order completely off balance. Souls that were once in Hell now roam the Earth. And your brother, Michael-" She paused, as Lucifer suddenly perked up, immediately gaining interest in the conversation. "-will soon be among them, as well. When I say every door in Hell, Lucifer…"

"You mean including the Cage." A slow smile was spreading across Lucifer's face despite himself. He would never admit it, but he sympathized with his brother and Adam quite a bit. The fact that they had just been left to rot - well, if anyone could understand what that felt like, it was Lucifer. As far as he remembered, though, Michael had been… well, to put it lightly, coo-coo for cocoa puffs. Hell, he was probably too far gone to even leave the Cage. Adam, on the other hand… well, while he might not be keen on separating from Michael, Lucifer was certain the demon would be able to overpower his brother in the weak state he was in. "Well, good for them. They can get some sunlight now," he noted, "they'll probably need the tan. Hellfire's not good for your skin, you know. Mm-mm."

A frustrated sigh broke through Jack's lips, but Billie was as patient as ever. "I didn't come here just to tell you how many problems your Father has just unraveled-"

"Sure, sure," Lucifer agreed distractedly, "that would take, phew, _forever_, I mean…"

"I came to ask for your help to stop Him."

That gave Lucifer pause. The Devil raised his eyebrows slightly, chin lifting just the slightest bit. Now, _that _most certainly intrigued him. Him? They wanted _his _help? Normally, Lucifer would have disagreed, but he stopped himself for two reasons. One being that this might be his last chance to get the fuck _out _of this absolute Hellhole of nothingness, and two…

_Oh_, the things he would _do _to get back at his Father.

He was being offered the chance to stop God - however the fuck that would happen - and he most certainly wasn't about to turn that chance down. Even his own freedom wasn't as tantalizingly _tempting _as this was. No, the chance to overpower God once and for all, to put an end to his horrible, selfish reign, the chance to prove that he was _right _all along and that God was, is, had always been and always would be the true villain, that overpowered everything. It was a chance, not _only _at revenge - but at _justice_.

And he'd be lying if he said that it didn't make him tingle all over.

"What do I have to do?" He finally asked, jumping straight into it - not even bothering to express his agreement, that was just a given; Billie had seemed to know exactly what to say to get him on board, and now it was just a matter of forming a plan.

"All will be explained before you leave," Billie replied simply, gesturing toward Jack, who narrowed his eyes at Lucifer ever so slightly, but didn't speak. "Jack has agreed to allow you in as a temporary host to his vessel for the time being. Keep in mind-" It was Billie's turn to narrow her eyes at Lucifer, now, who raised his eyebrows right back. "-he will be returning to his own body the moment we've secured your own vessel, and the moment Jack's soul is intact."

"Sure-" Lucifer cut himself off, stopping short, and turned his gaze back toward his son. The kid merely blinked at him, looking faintly confused by the abrupt pause, before Lucifer turned back to Billie. "Hang on, what's wrong with his soul?" He demanded.

Billie paused, exchanging a look with Jack - who, after a moment's hesitation, gave a confirming nod - before turning back to Lucifer once more. "It's… damaged. Almost to the point of nonexistence," she responded simply. "Jack is currently unable to hold a physical form in this state; He's hardly able to hold himself here, as is."

Lucifer stared at Jack for a moment longer, despising the concern that was lingering through him. He covered it up at once, narrowing his eyes and letting his gaze flick away from his son. "So I'm just a placeholder, then, until Jack's ready to leave," he muttered, putting as much spite into his tone as he possibly could, "I don't really know how I feel about that…"

Billie narrowed her eyes in response, calling his bluff right then and there. "You know just as well that it's more than that," she told him, her tone switching from calm to cold in an instant. "I told you everything will be explained, and it will. But you're either in, or you are out, from this moment forward. But if you want a chance to get out of here, and a chance to take your Father down…" She took a few steps forward. "Then you'll choose _in_."

Lucifer just fell silent, staring at her.

"So," Jack piped up, almost challengingly - Lucifer almost felt proud - as he tilted his head at the Devil and crossed his arms. "Are you in, or are you out?"

Billie quirked an eyebrow at Lucifer, waiting.

The Devil paused, slowly letting his gaze flicker back over to his son, before focusing back on Billie. This was… frustrating, to be completely honest. Every part of him ached to agree - every part of him _wanted _this, more than anything. If it weren't for his pride, he'd have already agreed by now - well, hell, he _had_, technically, kind of, sort of, not really, but…

Thinking about what was at stake… his freedom… his son… his sanity… his chance to prove himself right once and for all…

_Fuck my pride, _the Devil thought, hating himself all the more as he looked up again. "I'm in."

"Good." A grin finally cracked across Billie's face, and a very small smile appeared on Jack's - it wasn't much, but for some reason, it made Lucifer feel warm inside (which, in turn, made him want to bash his own head into a wall, except there were no walls to bash his head into). The grin vanished from Billie's face almost instantly, turning serious once more, as she narrowed her eyes at Lucifer again. "Oh, and another thing before we continue, Lucifer."

"Mm?"

"Nobody," Billie's eyes narrowed further, "and I do mean _nobody_ can know. Prying ears. If the plan gets back to God, then He'll be five steps ahead of us and we'll be right back where we started. So you are to keep this to yourself, and only to yourself, am I clear?"

Lucifer's eyes narrowed slightly. Sure, he could work with that. "Crystal."


	19. Chapter 19

Michael's stomach lurched once at the sound of his brother's name, and then everything stilled.

Adam was silent. Michael could feel the disbelief radiating from him, but that small gleam of hope was burning even brighter in the demon now. It wasn't quite joy - to be truthful, Michael had never felt actual, real joy coming from the demon. He insisted that he just didn't have the capacity, but Michael disagreed - after so long, being trapped, Adam just didn't have many reasons to _feel _joy, is all. And he'd probably long forgotten what it felt like by now. But this, this was definitely close, and once Michael's shock subsided, it hit him just as fiercely.

A part of him couldn't believe it, the fact that his brother had been right _there_, oh-so close, and he hadn't even known it. He should have been able to tell… Was he really that weak? The archangel almost faltered, but Adam pushed through it, irritation rising faintly toward Michael, an internal insistence that he hadn't known, either.

"Lucifer…" Michael mumbled after a moment, wide eyes flickering across his brother's face. Well, not quite his brother's, but you get the point. Lucifer's lips twitched ever so slightly in response, but he seemed more smug than anything, somewhat triumphant, even. The Devil leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, adjusting the sunglasses slightly and turning his head to the side, toward Gabriel, who had moved forward beside him.

"Speechless, the both of 'em. What'd I tell you?"

Gabriel only rolled his eyes, clearly not in the mood for the Devil's antics, at all. Michael only continued to stare, eventually scooting them forward a little on the bed - he didn't dare try standing, because even that small movement made his wings hurt - to get a closer look. Lucifer shifted back just a little bit, but otherwise, he didn't move, his head turning back toward Michael.

After a moment, though, a smile broke across their face from Michael's end, only to instantly turn into a grin from Adam, who finally spoke up. "I knew you were too stubborn to die."

"Shut up," Lucifer chuckled, "you believed I was dead just as much as Micha did." Gabriel's eyes narrowed faintly, watching them. He flashed confused looks in Michael and Adam's direction every time one of them spoke, unable to really figure out which one was talking, but Lucifer didn't miss a beat. "And, technically, I _did _die."

"Yeah, _technically_, but, I mean, you're not _dead_, so-" Adam cut off, abrupt. There was a long, long pause, before the grin slowly began to melt off of their face, and Michael frowned even deeper when he realized that something else was radiating from the demon now, something familiar - betrayal. "... you lied."

The smile vanished from Lucifer's face in an instant. "No, I didn't."

Michael was silent, now, completely torn. He knew how much integrity meant to Adam - how much _lying _pissed him off. When he deemed someone a liar, his trust in them was broken. And that had been a trait he'd had even as a human - it had only gotten worse after the angels, and then with what happened with Sam and Dean, even the smallest, white lie was considered unforgivable. Michael suspected it might be part of the reason he was so content with sharing a body with the archangel, too - Michael literally _couldn't _lie to him, not that he would anyway. The demon was literally inside his head.

And this… this was bad, because Adam had trusted Lucifer. He had trusted him a lot, and even Adam could admit that. They didn't always have the best relationship - I mean, hell, Lucifer had tortured the demon in the Cage. But after that, after the Transformation, they had seemed to bond. They got on each other's nerves, annoyed one another to death, but it was… well, to be completely honest, Michael had always found it somewhat adorable. They argued like brothers.

Michael would know…

"Yes… you did," Adam said slowly, fingers digging slightly into the cot beneath him and Michael as he leaned their head back, eyes never once moving from Lucifer. "You told us you were _dead_. _You _said that. Yourself. How is that not lying?"

"I told you that the Lucifer you were searching for was dead, Adam," the Devil responded smoothly. "And I didn't lie. That Lucifer is long gone." He shrugged his shoulders and turned away, heading back over to the desk. "Oh, and I told you I was a demon - which, I mean, technically, I'm considered the ruler of demons, so…"

Adam didn't relax, but he didn't say anything else. Michael took the chance to speak up again, a little bit quieter, and much less accusing than the demon had been. "... but why didn't you tell us before, Luci?" The archangel asked slowly, his eyes tracking his brother. That part, he didn't quite understand. If Lucifer knew they were searching for him, then why hadn't he spoken up sooner? Why had he let them believe he really was dead, when he wasn't?

Lucifer paused, pursing his lips and leaning over the desk, facing them with a half-thoughtful, half-guarded expression. "Ehh… confidentiality, y'know." He gestured slightly. "I wasn't technically supposed to tell anybody. But then Gabriel was starting to figure it out, since he's strong enough to see my true form even with the warning that B- Iiiii'm under, and, uh, yeah, I should've been a little more careful with the nicknames around you." He shrugged at Michael. "My bad. Don't think it'll change too much, though…"

Gabriel narrowed his eyes, moving over to sit beside Michael and Adam. They tensed up at once, from the demon's end, and Adam spared the other archangel a wary, irritated look before they focused their attention on Lucifer again. "Change too much of what?" Unlike Michael, Gabriel's tone was straight-out accusing, ready to call the Devil out. "Your next evil scheme?"

Lucifer let out a low sigh. "Jeez, if I had eyes, I'd be rolling them…" He muttered under his breath, folding his hands together and leaning back once again. "Also, like I said. Confidentiality. I can't tell you guys more than you already know, so." He spread his hands out, then folded them again, shrugging once more. "Sorry."

"What the _hell_ do you mean-" Adam started, just as accusing, but in a different kind of way; While Gabriel just seemed convinced Lucifer had something bad up his sleeve, and was planning something… well, Devilish, Adam just seemed more irritated over the fact that Lucifer wasn't willing to at least tell the two of _them _about whatever the hell was going on. Michael cut in swiftly, cutting the demon off easily and speaking up, himself.

"-you _can't_ tell us?" Michael softened their tone as much as possible, glancing to the side for a moment and offering a small frown. "Gently, Adam…"

"Shut up, asshole…"

Gabriel leaned away from them ever so slightly, looking a mix of confused and unnerved, and Lucifer's lips tugged upwards the slightest bit, rolling his head a little on his shoulders and reaching up to crack his neck with a sigh. "I mean… well, about what it sounds like, y'know. I can't. I would, but, uh, no. Too risky. At least right now."

"We already know who you are," Adam grumbled, frustrated, but he didn't sound as spiteful now - there was still some betrayal lingering under the surface, and genuine confusion, but for the most part he just seemed… hurt. Hurt and annoyed. "What else is _so _important that you can't tell us?"

"I gotta admit, Adam," Lucifer spoke thoughtfully, tilting his head to one side. "I kinda like it when you're jealous." At this, the demon's irritation rose even further, shooting the Devil a deep glare. Michael only sighed and closed their eyes for a moment, shaking their head a little bit. Gabriel had long fallen silent, but his gaze was focused on Lucifer, clear distrust in his eyes still.

"The fact that you're around the Winchesters isn't a good sign," he muttered, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "Who killed you? One of them, right?"

"Dean," Lucifer responded smoothly, but both Michael and Adam noticed his head twitched toward them, just for a split second, before he had turned his attention back to Gabriel. In response, the archangel snorted out a sarcastic-sounding laugh and nodded.

"Right, and you're here for revenge, aren't you." Gabriel arched his eyebrows at the Devil, and Michael frowned a little bit, opening his mouth slightly as if to speak - only for Adam to snap it shut again for them, shushing him internally.

_Don't, this is getting good._

Lucifer huffed out a laugh. "Mm, not for that, not against the Winchesters, no," he responded, then paused, letting out an irritated little huff and shaking his head. "Listen. G. Micha. Adam. It's out of my hands. So just wait it out, calm your tits, and be patient." He inclined his head toward Gabriel as he spoke next, eyebrows furrowing as the smile melted off of his face. "And keep _quiet_, would you? I know these two won't have any problems keeping it a secret- right?"

"Yes," Michael agreed instantly, and Adam let out an irritated sigh, but he seemed to agree. Lucifer hummed, focusing his attention back on Gabriel.

"But you, on the other hand, I'm worried about." Lucifer arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest, only to drop them at once, instead pressing his hands against the desk as he leaned forward with a hum. "I can't tell you much, Gabriel, but I can tell you that it is very, very important that you keep your mouth shut. The more the Winchesters know, the more dangerous it'll be. You three knowing is already going to make things harder."

"So you want me to lie to the Winchesters about something that could, quite possibly, get everyone killed, for _you?" _Gabriel asked dryly, raising an eyebrow at his brother. The archangel was practically radiating skepticism, as well as disbelief. "Lucifer, Lucifer, _Lucifer_, how _stupid _do you think I am, exactly?"

"Stupid enough, if you want me to answer that question honestly," Lucifer said idly. "And, who the hell said anything about people getting killed? Brother," the Devil sighed, leaning forward over the desk. "I pose no threat to the Winchesters. Not this time, at least. Maybe after this is all taken care of, sure, but now? I just want what everyone else wants."

"And what's that?" Gabriel snorted.

"The end of the end of the world." Lucifer gave a one-shouldered shrug, leaning back again. "I mean, I haven't killed anybody yet, have I?"

"Yet?" Michael spoke up tentatively, and Adam let out a few snickers internally. Lucifer's head twitched in his older brother's direction, and a slight grin cracked across his face before his attention was redirected back to Gabriel, smug once more.

"Only the best intentions now. Scout's honor."

Gabriel just stared at him, clearly unconvinced. Finally, the archangel just cleared his throat, shook his head, and pushed himself to stand. "Yeah, well, no. Sorry, Lucifer, but you've caused too much trouble in the past, and you've given me no reason to trust you now. I meant it when I said you were incapable of changing, brother." He narrowed his eyes at the Devil. "And if you really think I'm going to keep this kind of information from them so that you can play '101 ways to be a pain in the ass' again, maybe you're the mentally challenged one."

Lucifer was silent, but the smile on his face had vanished, and his eyebrows were furrowed together. He was completely still now, silent, as if frozen. Michael blinked at his younger brothers, hesitating slightly as he turned his head to watch Lucifer. He seemed genuinely upset at Gabriel's words, though, not the fact that his brother didn't trust him enough to keep his secret. Michael faltered, looking back toward Gabriel.

"... Gabriel…" The archangel started, somewhat hesitantly, as he turned his attention to his brother. Both of them turned to him, Lucifer looking intrigued and Gabriel looking curious - at least until he registered the slightly pleading expression that had crossed Michael's face.

"You've _gotta _be shitting me," the archangel uttered, eyes widening slightly in surprise as he stared at his older brother. Michael gave him a desperate look, sparing Lucifer a glance. "Michael, come _on_. This is Lucifer we're talking about. _Lucifer? _You know, master manipulator?" He emphasized, but Michael didn't falter.

"People change," Adam spoke after a moment, eyes narrowing slightly as he looked toward Lucifer. He was still pissed off, Michael could feel it, still irked that the Devil hadn't told them who he was all along, but he was still standing with them. Or, rather, with Michael, in all honesty. "Even complete and total _douchebags _who might not _deserve _to be given a chance," the demon added harshly, but Lucifer only smirked.

"Love you, too, Adam."

"Okay, _seriously_, go to _Hell_," Adam spat back in response, seething, already, just from that - a part of Michael wanted to laugh, but the rest of him was more focused on trying to calm down the fury simmering through the demon. "Point is-" Adam inhaled sharply, turning back to Gabriel. "He's your brother. Whatever he's done, you at least- at least…"

Silence.

"Oh, fuck me," Adam mumbled, and then he had retracted the last of his control. The sudden retreat brought a spark of panic to Michael's chest, unable to help but think back to how horribly, despairingly lost he had been before, when the demon had been sleeping. Before the anxiety could get the best of him, however, he heard a soft, internal sigh from Adam, half-irritation, half-concern. _Halo. Calm your ass. I'm still here. _

Michael hesitated, but, after a moment, he relaxed. Being in full control suddenly felt… well, it felt _wrong_, after what had happened, but the reassurance that Adam was still there, still talking, to him, at least, was enough to calm his nerves. The archangel shook his head a little and forced himself to focus on his brothers again, taking a deep breath and looking up. Gabriel was silent yet again, his gaze focused on Lucifer, but the Devil had redirected his own attention to start shuffling through the drawers of the desk, humming to himself.

Michael paused, his eyes straying toward Lucifer. Just before this, his chance to make things right with his brother had been completely, one-hundred percent impossible. But now that chance was back - and Lucifer seemed to be wanting a chance now, too. A chance for… _something_. But he seemed genuine - his promise that he meant no harm, the fact that he was there, helping the Winchesters, it seemed genuine enough, and… and Michael wanted to believe his brother. He _needed _to believe his brother.

Taking in a breath and holding it for a moment, Michael summoned whatever confidence he had left, turning his attention back to Gabriel. "I- I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt." He paused, steeling himself, as his younger brother's gaze flicked back to him. "I think we should try and trust him," the archangel added, his eyes darting back toward Lucifer. His brother had looked up, ever so silent now, mouth shut tightly, but his eyebrows pinched together.

"After everything…" Gabriel sighed, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling. "_Why?"_

Michael paused at that. Why? Hell, he didn't know. Even the archangel knew that his own guilt was influencing him here, but at the same time, it felt stronger than that. He wanted to give Lucifer a chance to prove himself, a chance to show that maybe he really _had _changed. After all, they'd been wrong about so much - about God, for instance. So maybe, just maybe, they were all wrong about Lucifer, too. But how were they supposed to know that if they didn't give him a chance?

"Because…" Michael ran his tongue over his lips, hesitant, then swallowed and looked up again, sparing Lucifer another glance. "Because somebody has to."

_Well said, _Adam sounded impressed, and Michael actually took a second to soak that in, because it was a rare occasion when Adam actually gave anyone a compliment, one that needed to be savored for as long as possible. The demon snorted a little despite himself, but he was silent now, and so Michael redirected his attention to his brothers.

Lucifer's expression didn't change much. His eyebrows twitched, but that was it. Gabriel, on the other hand, had seemed to visibly recoil at Michael's words, still staring at him in disbelief. They were all silent for a while, until, finally, the hostility flickering through Gabriel's eyes had faded, slowly shifting into an odd, thoughtful look, as he focused on the Devil once more.

"... Fine," the archangel finally agreed, pushing himself to stand. "I'll keep my mouth shut for now, Lucifer, but I swear, you give me one reason…" Gabriel trailed off, stepping toward the door. "I love you, brother, but I won't hesitate. Not about this." Not waiting for a response, he turned away from his brothers and left the room, shutting the door behind him firmly.

"Mm." Lucifer tilted his head, staring at the door, then slowly brought his attention back to Michael. After a moment, however, a small grin tugged at his lips. "Wow, Micha."

That, along with an internal chuckle from Adam, had a very faint smile forming on Michael's face despite himself, however bewildered he was. He spared his brother a glance, slowly relaxing onto the cot again, and slowly eased backwards into it a little more with a soft sigh, and a faint wince as a spark of pain shot through his wings. Regardless, he brushed it off. "What?" He tilted his head, and blinked when the internal laughter from Adam only intensified, and Lucifer's grin widened slightly as he shook his head, pushing himself away from the desk.

"Just didn't know you had that in you now, s'all," the Devil replied casually, stepping around the desk and taking a few steps toward Michael. The archangel let out a quiet hum of acknowledgement, and understanding. "Gabe said he was going to heal your wings," Lucifer added casually, staying still for a good few seconds before walking forward. "Guess he won't be too keen on doing that now. He's always been a bit stubborn, hm?"

Michael paused, eyes straying toward his wings. He hadn't been able to tuck them away, still in far too much pain to even consider moving them. "He'll come around," he muttered, albeit uncertainly. Adam offered an internal snort, and Michael raised his eyebrows, glancing away. "He _will_," he insisted, ignoring the demon's unspoken _mmmmhm_. "He's just… wary."

"And rightfully so." Lucifer leaned himself against the cot, tilting his head toward Michael. "Mm. Hey, Micha," he said suddenly, cocking his head even further. Michael immediately brought his gaze back to his younger brother, eyebrows furrowing. "You like kids?"

"Kids?" Michael stared at him, puzzled, and trying not to laugh at the internal groan that came from Adam at the mere _mention _of the word. "I mean…" He furrowed his eyebrows slightly. "I suppose I do. The young humans are adorable, at least. If not somewhat loud, but-" He cut off, with a gasp, and went completely still as Lucifer reached out while he was talking, and promptly closed one hand around the tip of one of Michael's wings, gripping tightly. "_Ow-"_

As soon as the word left his lips, however, the pain began to ebb away. The wing his brother was holding began to feel a lot less heavy, the sharper pains dulling away into smaller aches, and the archangel held his breath for a moment before letting it out slowly through clenched teeth, shaking a little from both the pain and the shock. _Damn, _Adam mumbled.

"Personally, I don't like human kids," Lucifer spoke casually, as if nothing had happened, and released Michael's wing with a hum. "But, then, I don't like _any _humans, so that's just a given. I did have a kid of my own, though, and he was half-human, so…"

Adam choked, and Michael paused, eyes going wide, and looked down at his brother in complete shock. "Wait a second, you _what_\- _OW!"_

Lucifer just chuckled a little bit, his hand now clasped firmly around the other wing. Michael jolted a little, jerking against his old somewhat instinctively, but Lucifer held on tight enough so that the archangel couldn't get away. "You always were so easily distracted."

Michael just shook his head unable to respond until the pain had, once again, subsided. But, by then, Adam had decided that was as good a time as any to take control. He reeled them backwards once Lucifer had let Michael's wing go, nothing but absolute shock radiating from the demon. Not even a flicker of irritation, or anger, which was a shock in itself - he was completely, utterly stunned. Hell, both of them were. "You- _you-"_

"You had- a _kid-?" _Michael managed to spit out when the demon had proved incapable of speaking. The archangel had a little trouble getting the words out, himself, still trying to wrap his head around the idea of his _brother _being a _father_, to a _Nephilim_, and _what_ the hell-

Lucifer nodded, crossing his arms and leaning back. "You miss a lot in captivity, man," he told them, looking serious despite the amusement lacing his words. Michael just opened and closed their mouth, while Adam was still trying to force out a coherent sentence, shock growing with every second. "I mean, I briefly became President, too. Oh. And God. I became God. Kind of."

"I…" Yeah, that was all Michael could say at the moment.

"Close your mouth, Micha. You'll attract more flies than usual." Lucifer paused and turned his head, briefly turning toward the door, and the smile on his face seemed to turn a little bit more smug as he turned back to Michael and Adam. "Well, I've probably got time for some stories. So, if you want-" He did a brief jazzhand motion with both hands, eyebrows raising, "I'd be happy to catch you up."

"_Please," _Adam finally choked out, while Michael nodded vigorously, eyes wide. "Jesus _Christ_."

"Jesus was a corrupt liar," Lucifer said dismissively, leaning back and tilting his head with a low, thoughtful hum. "Alright, now, then, let's see…"


	20. Chapter 20

So, Adam and Michael were now stretched out on their stomach, head propped up on their hands, watching Lucifer as the Devil lightly rolled the chair from one end of the room to the other. Admittedly, Adam wasn't paying much attention to what the Devil was saying - while Michael was hanging onto every word, Adam was lost in his own thoughts. A part of him was still a little miffed at Lucifer, but, admittedly, he couldn't stay mad for too long. He wasn't sure why; Maybe, on some level, he had missed the Devil too much to be pissed. Or maybe it was because of how happy Michael suddenly was, the way he grinned whenever his brother laughed, the content and satisfaction sparkling through him. It was warm, and safe, and stable.

Maybe Adam was just unable to be angry at anything that made the archangel so happy. The demon sighed a little through his nose, eyes tracking Lucifer as the Devil rolled toward the door, his tongue sticking halfway out of his mouth. He was talking about something - something about his son, but Adam had gotten all the information he needed in that particular aspect. The idea of Lucifer being a _father _was still somewhat surreal to him - Michael gave an internal hum of agreement - but, to be completely honest, it was one of the last things he was focused on.

For a moment, it was almost like the Cage. Just the three of them; Him and Michael, together, listening on in their respective boredom and amusement as Lucifer went on and on, ranting about whatever he wanted to. Michael had realized early on that the Devil had just been somewhat glad to have someone to talk to while they were trapped, even if he didn't always show it. To be honest, Adam understood - at least he'd had Michael to keep him company in the Cage, and even then… but to be completely, utterly alone in isolation like that…

Truth be told, it was a wonder Lucifer hadn't broken like Michael had. Well, no, that wasn't true - the Devil had broken, but in a different way. The Devil had become angry and spiteful; the archangel had softened. Not weakened - Adam refused to believe that any part of Michael was weak. Maybe he was damaged, maybe he was broken, but he wasn't weak. He survived the Cage. He was pulling himself together. He was pushing forward. That took strength.

The demon lowered their hands from their head to cross them over the cot in front of them, and in turn, Michael lowered their head into their arms. Adam shifted it sideways so that they could still watch Lucifer comfortably, and Michael tilted their head ever so faintly upwards, just so they could hear. They both relaxed, content with the new position, and moved on without a thought.

Lucifer crossed his arms behind his head and continued on, grinning, "his mother was hot. Shame she couldn't live through the birth, to be completely honest… but, she was a human, so I'm over it. Kid didn't need a mother, anyway - I mean, shit, he had four dads."

Michael chuckled, and Adam rolled their eyes slightly, despite being more amused than annoyed. This was… honestly the most peaceful they had been since they left the Cage, which was so, so depressingly ironic. The first time they actually began to relax was when the three of them were together again, talking, just like old times. Sure, there were different topics, and there was a different kind of energy in the room, and they weren't _trapped,_ but still.

Lucifer paused, suddenly, and abruptly turned in the chair, a grin lighting his face. "_Oh_, oh, did I tell you what happened with Amara?" He questioned, and both Michael and Adam took a second to consider that. That had been when Michael was still a little… well, batshit crazy. Adam did, vaguely, recall Lucifer mentioning something about it to him. His Aunt, God's sister, or whatever, who the Devil had described as a 'crazy bitch'.

Michael almost snorted at that, nodding faintly to his brother. "That's when you got out," he recalled, looking thoughtful. "Right? That's when the Cage opened. That was before…" Before Adam had finally had enough and forced Michael up off of his sorry ass, out of his insanity, forced him to focus and think clearly for the first time in years; That was before Adam had picked up the archangel's broken pieces and worked to put him back together himself. The demon paused, raising their head, but only so that he could shift them over onto their back. Michael crossed their arms under their head before Adam had completely relaxed into the cot.

"Whatever happened with Auntie Dearest?" Adam questioned, tilting his head back to watch Lucifer upside down. The Devil let out a low hum, pushing himself across the room, back toward the desk again now and letting his hands drop back into his lap.

"Well, I wasn't there to see the ending of the so called happy-ever-after family reunion. Pretty sure I was on my way to becoming a rock star around that time," Lucifer commented, tilting his head to one side. "But I definitely noticed when the sun started fading. She had actually managed to take the dick down." The Devil snorted, looking a little jealous. "Obviously she didn't end him completely, unfortunately, but from what I saw? She got damn close…"

"The… sun started fading," Adam echoed slowly, not quite understanding.

"Father is the Light," Michael explained at once, closing their eyes for a moment. "And Amara is the Darkness. The universe needs both in order to maintain a healthy balance. That's why, instead of killing her, Father had sent Amara away when she proved to be a threat to humanity, so that he didn't disrupt the balance of the universe."

"Yyyyep," Lucifer popped the 'p', a strange tone lingering in his voice now. "Daddy-o sure has a habit of putting people in timeout when they do anything to displease Him…"

"Yeah," Michael's agreement was quiet, but not as hesitant. Adam hummed a little, internally. While he hated the fact that the archangel was hurting, he was actually… well, kind of proud. Maybe he didn't approve of Michael rushing headfirst into danger just to get back at God, but he liked that the archangel was genuinely trying to sever whatever ties he'd had to his Father, the chains that had been holding him down. "At least He's gone now, though…" He trailed off.

Whatever Lucifer was going to respond with was interrupted, at once, by the door opening; Michael jumped, while Adam just opened their eyes and turned, eyes narrowing at once.

Sam and Dean… it just _had _to be Sam and Dean.

Something odd had… happened, while Adam had been speaking to Gabriel. Something uncomfortable, and confusing, and something that made him rethink… well, almost everything, if he was being completely truthful. It was something that actually made him doubt himself, and he hated it, because he didn't want to doubt himself - not about this. _He's your brother. Whatever he's done, you, at least, should give him a chance… _That's what he'd been about to say before he realized that his own words could, very easily, be turned back around on him.

It wasn't that he wanted to be angry - but he _deserved_ to be, didn't he? After everything they had done? The broken promises, the _lies? _No, Adam wasn't going to falter on this one. He despised his so-called brothers, and that wasn't going to change. The demon narrowed his eyes slightly, silent, as Sam stepped into the room, followed by Dean, who spared them a slightly distrustful glance - in response, Adam bared his teeth and started to growl, just to be a dick, before Michael reeled him back in with a disapproving sigh.

"'Sup." Lucifer raised a hand in a half-hearted, slightly sarcastic wave. Adam raised an eyebrow at the suspicious glances that Sam and Dean threw his way, wondering if Gabriel had said something - but, they didn't seem particularly afraid, or angry, just wary. "Just, y'know, mingling with the commoners." He rolled the chair over toward them, stopping a few feet away.

"Right." Dean narrowed his eyes a little bit, sparing a glance toward Michael and Adam. "We're going back to the graveyard," the hunter continued to Lucifer, who quirked an eyebrow. "Rowena thinks she might have something." Adam raised an eyebrow at that, while Michael was pushing them to sit up again. Judging by how hesitant he seemed to move, his wings were probably still rather sore - to be honest, Adam's back was still aching.

"Heyyyy, that's great." Lucifer flashed them a grin, pushing the chair back and standing up. "And, I guess, you want me to come along."

"That's the general idea," Sam mused, then nudged his shoulder against Dean's. "I'll go get Cas, Rowena and Crowley." Dean just nodded, and Sam turned to leave, both of them missing the way the smile had vanished from Lucifer's face in an instant. Adam and Michael didn't miss it, though, torn between confusion and concern - respectively - as Sam left the room.

"C'mon." Dean turned away from Lucifer, pausing as his gaze flickered over Michael and Adam. After a moment, he turned back, a faint frown appearing on his face now. "You alright?"

"I will be once you go to Hell," Adam responded sweetly, his glare sharpening at once toward the hunter. Lucifer let out a quiet _snrk_ sound, lips tugging into a very faint grin. Michael sighed, and deeply so at that, but he didn't bother chiding the demon this time.

Dean just ran his tongue over his lips and stepped back, turning to leave. Lucifer turned to follow - but not before turning back to his brother and Adam. Then, he promptly raised both hands, aiming finger-guns toward his own head and pretending to shoot - which actually made Adam snicker - before he left the room, leaving the door open behind him.

"Wow," Michael muttered, a faint smile lingering on his lips now.

Adam hummed slightly in agreement, staring after Lucifer. Angry as he might have been before, and irritated as he was, he had missed the Devil. A little more than he had bargained for - whether he was willing to admit it or not, it was nice to have him back, to at least _kind _of go back to the way they had used to be. The demon rolled their shoulders back, sighing softly through his nose as the aching feeling began to fade, just slightly, from the movement. Odd enough, how the pain started to fade the more he moved - but when he stopped, it all caught up to him.

"Kinda surprised you didn't jump to join them on their quest to the graveyard," Adam commented, amused, as he pushed them to stand. Michael grunted a little, stretching their arms up over their head, and Adam closed his eyes for a moment, stiff muscles relaxing at once.

"After what happened, I think I'll let them handle it for now," Michael muttered, shaking their head a little bit and slowly lowering their arms back down with a low, quiet sigh. "I'm pretty much at less than full power, and I don't want to put you- us-" He corrected, before Adam had a proper chance to get pissed again, "in danger again."

"... uh huh," Adam muttered back, eyes narrowing.

"Just trying to think things through," Michael said innocently, prompting Adam to roll their eyes slightly. Mhm, sure. He was probably just trying to avoid yet another scolding. "Well, that too," the archangel added slyly, and Adam quirked an eyebrow in response.

"Yeah, okay, asshole," the demon sighed a little, turning toward the door. He narrowed his eyes, thinking. He was tired, and Michael most certainly didn't seem opposed to the idea of resting a little bit more - he probably needed it, especially considering how restless he had been in his sleep before - but Adam also really, really, _really _needed a shower right about then.

"Go get a shower," Michael sighed, stifling a yawn. "I'll meet you in the park?"

Adam nodded, unconsciously bringing a hand up to rub their eyes. He honestly felt the way he did when he was a child - whenever he got tired, he was just completely drained. Like all of the energy had been sucked out of him. And when he had gotten like that, he needed several hours of naps to be able to get himself back to full energy - that hadn't seemed to change.

Sighing a little as the archangel retreated, Adam stretched one last time before heading off. Things were, slowly and surprisingly, beginning to look up.


	21. Chapter 21

"Beer?"

Michael looked up, despite Adam's internal protests. He didn't know whether it was because the demon just wanted to finish this chapter of the book they were reading, or because he had recognized the voice of the person talking to them and just didn't want to deal with it, but either way, Michael knew it would be rude to ignore them. They were back in the classroom, back to reading Cujo since Adam hadn't had the chance to finish, and Michael, for one, was a little irked at the interruption, simply because it was a Winchester. He was glad it was Sam, and not Dean - truth be told, he still wasn't all _too _fond of the hunter. Not to say he was fond of either of them, he still stood with Adam above everything, but Dean… Shaking their head a little, the archangel fixed his gaze on the hunter's face, then brought their eyes to the beer he was holding.

Adam twitched. The archangel had to bite back a sigh at the emotions that had risen up; the strongest of which was deep irritation because _yes_, Adam wanted the beer, but on the other hand, he didn't want to accept anything from his brothers. It would have been amusing if Adam hadn't been, not just avoiding the Winchesters, but actively trying to get under their skin recently for the past few days. Ever since the talk with Gabriel, he had been like that - more snarky comments than usual, furious glares and making it all too clear how much he hated them.

It was the closest thing to actually attacking them that Michael would allow, but even then, he didn't have much pull. His quiet warnings and attempts to calm the demon down were steadily becoming less and less effective. Something had scared him, the other day, and he was acting out because of it. Michael wished he would just talk to him, but the demon refused.

"Sure, thank-" Michael started to agree, but the very second Sam had put the beer down in front of them, Adam reached out. Thinking that he was going to grab it, the archangel allowed him to do so - only for the demon to press one finger to the neck of the bottle, pushing it so that it tipped over onto its side, and promptly use that same finger to roll it straight off of the table. Too stunned to react, both Michael and Sam winced, simultaneously, when it hit the floor.

"Oops," Adam said flatly. And with that, he leaned back, adjust the book, and redirected their attention right back to it, completely ignoring Michael's internal protests and Sam's frown.

_That was mean… _Michael sighed. Adam just shrugged.

"... okay, uh…" Sam inhaled sharply, and Michael flicked their gaze up once more. Adam narrowed their eyes the slightest bit, and Sam seemed to hesitate, pulling a chair up to the desk they were sitting at and taking a seat with a frown. "Can I… talk to Adam?"

"No," Adam declared sharply, now propping the book up on the desk so he could start reading again. "Go fuck yourself." Michael had to bite back his objections this time. He couldn't control Adam; If the demon didn't want to talk to his brothers, he didn't want to talk to his brothers, and that was fine. Michael just wanted him to be happy, to not be so _angry_ all the time.

Scowling, the demon flipped a page, remaining unresponsive.

Sam continued to hesitate, silent. Michael ended up retreating slightly to read along with Adam again, albeit hesitantly - on the off-chance that the hunter said something triggering, Michael had to be ready to keep Adam from doing something he'd end up regretting. Truth be told, he was doing a lot better as far as physical violence went; He still wanted to punch his brothers in the face every now and again, and snap their necks, and stab them, etc, but, he hadn't made any kind of attempt to do so in a while. Michael was honestly proud, but still being careful.

"Dean told me…" Sam suddenly spoke again, causing Michael to jump ever so slightly. Adam's fury seemed to intensify, just from that, but all he did was tighten his grip on the book. "He told me that you, uh… well, that you didn't really like us, very much." The hunter paused. "I-"

"Dean's wrong," Adam interrupted, sounding surprisingly calm, but still cold. Even Michael was a little bit startled by that, though - bewildered, even. Judging by the wary surprise edging Sam's tone when he spoke next, he was just as taken aback.

"Really?"

"Oh, yeah." Adam turned another page, but paused this time and let their gaze flicker up, tilting their head up a little bit so that he could focus on Sam again. "I loathe you. There's a difference." With that said, ignoring the way Sam visibly deflated at the words, the demon leaned back once more and lowered their chin, redirecting his attention to the book. Michael frowned.

"I…" Sam paused again, and Michael started to look up, but Adam resisted, looking back down at the book with a frown. "I- well, we've all been busy lately. Trying to figure this out, especially now that we're back to square one, but…" The hunter trailed off and, after a good few seconds, Michael abruptly took enough control to put the book down, keeping it open so that the demon didn't lose his place.

_Hey, _Adam snapped, and while he didn't move to pick the book back up, he craned his neck a little bit so that he could continue reading. _Someone was about to die._

Michael sighed and flipped the book over so that all they could see was the cover and the back, much to the demon's chagrin. He couldn't force Adam to forgive his brothers, and he didn't want to. But he knew that, on some level, the demon _did _want to - he just wasn't going to admit it, anytime soon. At the very least, Michael wanted him to be able to move on; But he couldn't do that when he was staying so angry at them, all the time. And he was going to continue to be angry if he didn't actually make an effort to listen every now and again.

Adam was silent, but judging by the way he lifted his gaze back to Sam, albeit reluctantly so, he had at least taken those words to heart, somewhat. Either that or he just wanted to get on with this so that he could go back to reading. Hard to tell.

"I haven't… had a chance to properly apologize to you." Sam took in another breath and shifted slightly in his seat, looking a little uncomfortable as he met their gaze. Adam narrowed his eyes in response, and Michael retreated once more, just enough so that he could be able to see and hear and take control again if needed, just in case Adam lost his temper. "There's no excuse-"

"That's right, there's not," Adam interrupted, "so, bye."

Sam fell silent for a good few seconds, but now he just seemed frustrated. Whether at Adam, or at something else, Michael couldn't quite tell, but he could sense the tension rising with each passing second, and he didn't like it one bit. "I want to make things right with you."

Adam's shoulders twitched ever so slightly in response. He sat still, and the fury simmering through him didn't intensify, but it certainly didn't fade a bit. Michael, on the other hand, faltered. Just those words - _make things right _\- it was enough to give him pause. It was a completely different situation, and he knew that, he _knew _that, but he couldn't help but soften, if only slightly. The archangel sighed a little, but stayed silent, while the demon's eyes narrowed.

"You can't," Adam finally replied, dark and simple. "And that's just that. You and your brother - you didn't want anything to do with me when I was stuck in a Cage. I don't know why you suddenly do now, but it's just too little, too late. I am pissed, and I _do _hate you, but that's about as much as I'm able to feel toward you." The demon glanced down, reaching to pick the book back up, as he continued, "and that's about as much as I'm willing to, too. So you be sorry - you _oughta _be, but don't think, for a second, that an apology is going to make up for anything."

Sam opened his mouth, but he faltered, unable to respond. Michael just frowned, his chest aching. He sympathized, for sure - but the worst part was that he felt for the both of them, and he had absolutely no idea what to do about that. After a moment, the hunter nodded, looking tired. "If there's anything I can do…" Sam started, strained. "Let me know. I… I want to try."

"Don't hold your breath." Adam stood up and shut the book, using one of his fingers to keep his place. Michael paused, ready to take control, but the demon merely stepped around the desk and walked past Sam without another word, leaving the room.

Michael took in a breath and finally surged up again. "You okay?"

"Uh huh." Adam opened the book and looked down, reading as they walked. Michael spared glances ahead every now and then, not wanting to run into anything, but he tried not to interrupt the demon's reading as much as possible now. He stayed silent for the most part - it was Adam who broke the silence a moment later, not looking up from the book. "I can sense your disapproval, you know."

"I don't disapprove, I-" Michael stopped, hesitating, and sighed. Adam quirked an eyebrow, and the archangel frowned, reluctantly speaking up again. "I just think you'd feel a lot better if… if you would try a little harder to forgive them, you know?" He didn't get a response, so he continued, "I know you want to, Adam, I can feel it, but- I don't know why you won't just let yourself…" He trailed off, and the demon huffed out a low sigh, finally lifting their gaze. "I mean, you deserve to be happy, so why…?"

"Yeah, maybe I do, maybe I don't," Adam snapped, eyes narrowing faintly as he turned them down a corner, looking for the library. "But that doesn't matter. They left me in Hell, and they didn't even try- _they _don't _deserve_ forgiveness. I was doing just fine before I met them, and I'll do just fine once we leave. I don't need them, or their pity."

"They're your brothers, though," Michael responded slowly. "I mean, they're your family. What they did was wrong, but maybe they're actually trying to make up for it now. At leas-"

"_That's _seriously your defense right now, Michael? They're my _brothers_?" Adam stopped walking, rather abruptly; Michael took a good look around, alarmed, making sure nobody was around to hear the argument as Adam continued on, practically seething now, "this is coming from the archangel who was more than willing to _kill _his _own _brother just because dear old Daddy told him to, and now, what, you feel bad because you ended up getting the same stony treatment? Sorry, _buddy_, but you are the _last _one that needs to be lecturing _me_ about _family_. So mind your own damn _business_ for once, would you?"

Michael had long gone silent at that point, completely still. There was nothing to say - I mean, _hell_, what the fuck was he supposed to say to that? It was true, wasn't it? The archangel swallowed, letting out the breath he hadn't known he was holding in a long, slow, shaky sigh. True or not, hearing it from _Adam_, hearing the demon spit such absolute fury and hatred toward _him_ now, _that _hurt. And he tried to convince himself that Adam hadn't really _meant _that, that it had to have just been his fury getting the better of him now, but even then, it continued to hurt.

On Adam's end, now that his rage was starting to fade, there was nothing but horror beginning to stir up in the demon's chest, having realized exactly what he'd just said. The guilt was overpowering on both ends, especially considering that at the moment, they were both feeling it at full force, but somehow, Adam's seemed even stronger. But even he had fallen silent, at a loss for what to say after all of that, stunned speechless by his own words.

And so they stood, wordless and unmoving, until Lucifer's voice piped up from behind them. The Devil approached, blissfully oblivious to the argument, to the words that had been exchanged. "Jeez, took forever to find you two. Almost thought you left the school, for a second there. What're you doing just lingering in the hallway?"

Adam was silent. Slowly retreating, the demon seemed to be having an internal battle of his own; After a good few seconds, Michael forced himself to move, turning to face his brother and sucking in a deep breath as he fought past the steady torrent of pain flooding his chest. "We- We were just…" The archangel stopped, struggling, his gaze flickering hopelessly over his younger brother, unable to say any more than that.

Lucifer slowed to a stop, eyebrows raising expectantly as he crossed his arms over his chest, adjusting a small, brown paper bag he was holding. He looked confused, but there was something else on his face, an emotion Michael couldn't quite place - but, at the moment, one that he, admittedly, wasn't all too focused on. He couldn't focus on much of anything right then. "You were just…" He prompted, raising his eyebrows further, and Michael just blinked.

"Talking." That was Adam speaking, now, sounding strangled. Michael retreated a little, himself, as the demon rose up to take half control again. Not because he didn't want to share control with the demon, but because he wasn't sure of his own place there, anymore. But, he held onto his control, keeping their gaze steady on Lucifer. "What's up, Luce?"

Lucifer stared at them, skeptical, but after a moment, his expression seemed to relax slightly, giving in. "Well, after yet another failed attempt from Rowena and yet another day with the obnoxiously suspicious Crowley, I need a drink." He held up the bag.

"You can't get drunk," Michael pointed out quietly, reluctantly.

"I can sure as hell try, Michael, I can sure as hell try," Lucifer sighed dramatically, pulling two bottles out of the bag. "Don't worry, I brought some for the two of you, too. I'm also not allowed to enter that particular store anymore, and I'm currently not allowed to cause trouble - which means killing humans - so try and make it last, 'cause I'm not going back anytime soon."

Adam reached out and took the bottle with his free hand, while Michael summoned up the courage to speak again, managing a quiet, "thanks", as Adam popped the cap off one-handed and immediately took a sip. A very long, very large sip.

"You enjoy that. I'm gonna go curl up in a corner and question my life choices." Lucifer brushed past them and headed off on his way. Michael spared a glance after him, then looked down at the beer bottle. Then, ever so silent, he lifted it back to their lips himself and swallowed down a few mouthfuls. Of course, logically, he knew he couldn't get drunk, and Adam likely wouldn't be able to now, either, but - like Lucifer had said, they could sure as hell try.

"I…" Adam trailed off, and then he was silent again, completely. Michael didn't respond, still not quite knowing what to say to the demon, how to react. After a moment, the demon took in a breath, took another long sip, and turned on their feet to continue on his way to the library. Michael retracted what was left of his control and simply stayed quiet for the rest of the day.


	22. Chapter 22

The next day was… tense.

Silence had turned into straight-up avoidance. Adam was, truthfully, a little scared to dive deeper into Michael's thoughts, to try to make sense of the emotions. Scared to pay attention, because he didn't know what he was going to get when he did. Michael seemed just as hesitant, hesitant to speak, to even _think_ the smallest thing - and the demon hated it, but he wasn't about to say anything, because he didn't even know where to begin. He felt like absolute shit, the words he'd said to Michael ringing through his head continuously, on a loop, despite his attempts to quiet them. They were careful, _too _careful, not to speak to each other; When they were talking to Lucifer, they took turns speaking to him, but never each other. When they weren't interacting with anybody else, one would retreat uncertainly and the other would linger. One would sleep, and the other stayed awake. Then, when the other woke, they traded off.

It was some kind of unspoken agreement, a horrible, twisted, _sad _routine that they both fell into, awkwardly and reluctantly. Adam bit back the things he wanted to say, swallowed down the apologies, and Michael stayed silent for fear of butting in where he wasn't wanted. He had done as Adam had suggested, and was minding his own business, and the demon hadn't thought he'd miss the archangel's constant prodding and annoying morals, but he did, more than ever.

Right then, Michael had retreated. He had buried himself along in the memories and was doing his best to pretend he was alone, while Adam, in full control, had taken to curling up in a corner of the library, a pile of books beside him that seemed to be piling up with every second. He couldn't find anything, not that he could focus on, anyway, that he was willing to read. He felt like he was drowning, to be completely honest. The guilt was eating at him - and, for a moment, he wondered if maybe this is how Michael felt all the time. Wondered if he had made it worse with the things he had said, the way he had cut the archangel down as he had.

He snapped the book he was struggling to focus on now shut and tightened his grip on it slightly, fighting every urge to rip it apart page by page. He wanted to scream, he wanted to curse, he wanted to rage and fight and tear the entire school apart brick by fucking _brick _and punch the walls until his hands were nothing but blood and bone. But he found that that anger, that pure, constant fury, had been redirected straight to himself. He was used to getting angry at himself, during his brief moments of weakness, but now it was just constant. Now it wasn't just rage, it was _hatred_. He wanted to hurt something, but he wanted to _hurt_. He wanted to punish himself - which, I mean, was stupid, right? The guilt was enough of a punishment.

And even then, with all this anger, all he did was sit there. What was he supposed to do, anyway? He felt like he had been ripped in half, and his other half was currently hiding away. He had never felt more alone than he did then, and he'd had been stuck with that feeling since the moment those stupid, irrevocable words had left his mouth. He had really fucked up then, and he didn't know how to go back and make it better.

"With the way you isolate yourselves, you might as well have stayed in the Cage."

The demon blinked, immediately lifting his gaze from the book. Michael didn't rise - he had probably fallen asleep, to be completely honest. Adam struggled not to visibly falter at the thought. He already felt hollow; No way that could get any worse, especially now, but it just made him feel even guiltier than he already had. Slowly, he looked away again and put the book down again, adding it to the pile. He couldn't focus, and he certainly wasn't about to try now. "Hello to you, too, Lucifer," he muttered. "Whattya want?"

"I _want _to know what's up with you and my brother, Adam." Lucifer quirked an eyebrow at him, folding his arms over his chest. The demon didn't respond, slowly reaching back and pressing his hands against the wall to heave himself up off of the floor, a little unsteady on his feet as he did so. "It doesn't take a genius to see the tension here. And after that little spat yesterday…"

"You heard that?" Adam demanded, narrowing his eyes a little bit now, a frown tugging at his lips. For a moment, he almost retreated, but he refrained, simply because Michael was still in there somewhere. Whether he was asleep or not, Adam didn't want to risk it. He didn't want to risk seeing his face, the hurt in his eyes, the hurt _he _had caused - the demon clenched his teeth and looked down, unable to keep his eyes focused on Lucifer for long.

"I heard some," the Devil admitted dryly, "didn't wanna say anything, since the two of you already seemed awkward as it was. Trouble in paradise, I presume?" At this, Adam rolled his eyes, and Lucifer only chuckled a little, slow and sharp. "Only joking, you know that. Really, though, I'm tired of the games. It's weird, watching the two of you dance around each other. Especially considering you're sharing the same body." He paused. "For now, at least."

"It's none of your-" Adam stopped, froze, and slowly lifted his gaze again as that last part finally registered. _For now? _The hell did he mean by that? He wanted to question it, he wanted to know, but he couldn't force his mouth to open, couldn't force the words out. Instead, he only stared, and Lucifer merely tilted his head ever so faintly to the side in response.

"_Damn business_?" Lucifer replied sweetly, and Adam's eyes sharpened. "Yeah, _poor Adam_, everybody's all up in his business. Must suck, having people care about you that much. How do you _live _like that? I just can't imagine it." The Devil turned away, toward one of the bookshelves. Adam just stared, the rage bubbling in his chest slowly turning in Lucifer's direction. "And that's why you're pushing everyone away, right? The Winchesters, Michael…"

"It _is_ none of your damn business what I do, Lucifer," Adam snarled back in response, finally losing his patience - not that there was much to lose. With Michael asleep, there was nobody to stifle his rage, nobody to calm him. Lucifer just turned his head in the demon's direction, unfazed. "Get off my back, for fuck's sake. What's it to you, anyway?"

"You're a coward," Lucifer said simply, his tone flat. "Hiding behind a mask of arrogance. Pushing away anybody who tries to get underneath because you can't _stand _the idea - not just of someone caring about you - but of you ending up reciprocating those feelings. You're scared. Because you actually give a shit about my brother - and, hell, maybe you even give a shit about your own. And, right now, you're scared of getting close, but you're also scared of pushing to the point where you end up losing them forever." A strange tone had entered Lucifer's voice now, and Adam had long fallen silent, his hands shaking slightly as he listened. "And so you'll make mistake after mistake, one harsh comment after another. You'll tear both of you down until there's nothing left to destroy - and then, finally, when it's over, you'll both be alone again."

"What," Adam's voice shook, whether from anger or from pain, he wasn't even sure of at that point. Both emotions were pounding in his chest now, enough to make him want to rip his own chest open and tear his heart out with his hands. Instead, he just stood still, the tremor spreading from his hands to his arms. "_What _are you _talking _about?"

"You and Michael. You're so perfectly… disgustingly codependent on each other, anyone with half a brain could see it," Lucifer snorted, leaning sideways against the bookshelf as he turned his attention back to the books, scanning them slowly. "But even the strongest strings can snap, pal. My brother is pretty much less than stable at the moment, and _you? _You're holding yourself together now, sure, but once Michael's gone… well, how long do you think it'll take for you to self destruct? An hour? Two?"

Adam just stared at him, not knowing what to say. Partly because Lucifer was right, but also because he didn't quite understand. _Once _Michael's gone? The demon hesitated, watching as the Devil continued to flick through the bookshelf, seeming bored as ever. But, finally, even his own reluctance couldn't overpower the itching, curious fear lingering in the back of his mind. "Okay, what- what do you mean by that? Once Michael's gone?" He finally demanded, stepping forward. "You think- you think he's gonna leave because of this? You think…"

"Leave, sure. Break down, go insane, drive himself nuts again - all good possibilities," Lucifer replied easily enough, as if this was a normal conversation, as if they weren't discussing his brother's sanity. Adam just stared at him as he went on, "either way, if you two are as reliant on each other as I've seen thus far, you'll both end up cracking sooner or later. Michael's a ticking time bomb, he's already half insane - and you?" He tilted his head toward Adam, but didn't turn away from the bookshelves. "Well, you'll go down after he does. If you're not leaning on each other for support, you're collapsing - and if one collapses, the other will."

Adam stood still, but his entire body was shaking now. The only thing keeping him from lunging at Lucifer was the pain throbbing through his chest, his own sickeningly twisted guilt clawing at his stomach. He couldn't think, and he certainly couldn't think clearly enough to attack. So he just stared, blankly, as Lucifer pulled a book off of the shelf, turning it over to check the title. He must have found whatever it is he had been searching for, because he smiled, satisfied, and turned to leave. Only to pause before he could even take a step, looking back over his shoulder.

"But, hey, think of it this way, if you want to." The Devil smiled, cold and cruel. "You were doing just fine before you met him… and you'll do just fine once he leaves."

With that, he left Adam feeling even sicker.

It took a while, after Lucifer had gone, for the rage to catch up through the confusion, the pain, the shame and the guilt. It took a while for the fury to start brewing again, because he had lost himself completely in that conversation, in the terror that Lucifer was right, that if they didn't fix things soon, then maybe they were both goners. And yet, even then, something continued to hold him back. It wasn't pride - he'd throw his pride out the window ten times over if it meant he didn't have to feel like this anymore. It was terror, keeping him back, keeping him away from Michael. The fact that maybe it might be too late, that the damage was irreversible, that the archangel would never, could never, and _should _never forgive him for the things he had said.

He had never hurt Michael before. He'd never wanted to. Everyone else had, but Adam hadn't. Sure, he snapped at him every once in a while, but he'd never tried to cut deep like he had yesterday. So what was he supposed to say? How was he supposed to apologize for that?

The anger came only when he realized how right Lucifer was. At least, on his end, Adam was driving himself crazy. He was spiraling, he was collapsing.

And when that anger came, at that revelation, Adam snapped.

He reeled back, then abruptly slammed himself forward again, kicking the pile of books he had stacked up beside him. The force not only knocked the pile over, but it sent several of the books flying through the air, slamming into walls and bookshelves. But that was only the beginning; Adam was still raging, still spiraling, and he wasn't done next. The next thing he kicked was a chair, breaking two of the legs off as it, like the books, went crashing into one of the bookshelves, which rocked, tilted, and tipped over from the sheer force.

He grabbed one end of the table and flipped it over completely, letting it crash to the floor. The wood cracked at once at the impact as the demon slammed it down, several pieces flying off, but he still wasn't satisfied. Still, the most he did was snap off one of the legs, chucking it toward one of the remaining bookshelves, before finally giving in and letting himself crumple to the ground with a choked, frustrated, distorted snarl.

Adam couldn't take it. The fury, the pain, the guilt, it was all too much, too far. And it _hurt_, it hurt worse than anything the demon had ever experienced; Worse than the news of Lucifer's death, worse than the torture he had experienced in Hell, worse than being trapped in the Cage, worse than, even, being abandoned by his own brothers. It was strong, and intense, and infuriating but agonizing all at once and with each passing second it only intensified. And it hit him all at once, no restraint, no hesitation. Just pure, torturous, and unfixable - or at least, that's what it felt like. That's what _he _felt like. Unfixable.

The demon slammed his fist into the floor and sank back on his knees, pressing his other hand over his mouth. His eyes stung, blurry with the tears that, even now, he still refused to let spill. They stayed exactly where they were, still swimming through his eyes, still trapped - because, no. Adam would rage, and he could snarl and scream and he would hate himself as much as he was capable of, which was a lot, but he wasn't going to let himself show that kind of weakness.

So he just sat, surrounded by the mess he had made. And he sat until, finally, when that rage proved to be only getting stronger, he decided to retreat. He decided to retreat, because it was what Michael would have told him to do; To step back, to calm down, and think. And even if he wasn't talking to him, even if they were avoiding each other like the plague, that was what he wanted to hear; The calm reassurances, the soothing reminders. And the fear that he wouldn't ever hear anything like that from the archangel again was another reason why he retreated now.

It was funny how he only ended up listening when Michael was silent.


	23. Chapter 23

Adam was already asleep by the time Michael had awoken.

The archangel's dreams had been restless. Nothing like the peaceful, sweet dreams of the Silver City, and more unsettling than the nightmare he had experienced after the panic attack. He hadn't even dreamed, per se - he had just slept, fitfully, painfully. But the worst part was that, when he did wake up, he couldn't help but long for the uneasy sleep again. Because even that was better than being awake, than facing the reality he had been stuck in. For a while, he debated on staying completely still, just not moving, or thinking, and trying not to feel a thing. But it didn't work; Something else was off, something else was happening, on the outside.

He took a moment, just to make sure that Adam really was asleep, before he rose up to take control. It wasn't like he was angry at the demon - no, honestly, he couldn't be even if he didn't care about Adam, because he had been right. On some level, at least, he had been right. He was just hurt, and confused, and guilty - he didn't know how to face the demon, but beyond that, he didn't know how to interact with him anymore without… being in the way. Without being pushy, or controlling, or in his business, where he didn't belong.

Because Michael had made the mistake of confusing Adam's business for his own - which was easy to do when it felt like they were the same person, always on the same page, experiencing and feeling the same things. It was even harder to come to terms with the fact that, recently, they had not only been on completely different pages, completely different chapters, but it seemed like they were completely different books altogether. And he hated it.

Sighing, Michael started to push himself up, only to freeze.

It took a second for him to register the sight in front of him. A bookshelf, knocked over, books scattered, some pages ripped out. A broken chair and table, the legs scattered across the floor. He wished he could have been surprised, but he wasn't. It just hurt. The archangel exhaled and pushed himself up completely, a little unsteady at first, but he managed to keep his balance after a good few seconds. Was he really… that angry? Was he hurting that much? There were still so many things Michael wanted to say, things he wanted to do, but he didn't even know where to begin. Clearly, Adam didn't either. And that didn't make it any easier.

He knew the demon regretted what he'd said, and it wasn't that Michael was holding out for an apology; He could go without it. He just didn't know how to function. He didn't know what to do, or what to say, or how to avoid triggering Adam again. He was giving him his space, what he _thought _he'd wanted, but now, looking around, Michael wasn't sure if that was the right thing.

He wasn't sure if there… was a right thing in this situation. Was this… it? Was this unfixable? Did they walk that fragile a line, him and Adam? Had it been that breakable? Michael faltered a little bit, shaking his head slightly and leaning down to grab the table by one of the remaining legs, easily lifting it back up. He couldn't set it upright again, so he simply moved it to the corner so that it was out of the way before walking over to retrieve the leg that had been snapped off.

He was halfway through his cleanup when a familiar face poked his head into the room. Michael paused, turning, watching as Sam's eyes widened slightly as the hunter took in the room. For a moment, the archangel almost expected that familiar rush of anger from inside - but there was nothing, he had to remind himself, Adam was asleep. The archangel bit his tongue, struggling to force back the panic bubbling up, an instinctive reaction to the hollow, broken feeling.

"What-" Sam shook his head a little bit, reluctantly stepping into the room. Michael was working on lifting one of the bookshelves up, which he'd briefly forgotten about; The archangel returned to his task quickly, forcing himself to focus, and blinked a little bit in surprise as Sam walked over to gather up the books that had fallen. "What happened?" The hunter asked warily, shooting him an uncertain look, as if expecting some sarcastic, sharp reply from Adam's end. Michael only sighed a little, steadying the bookshelf.

"Adam happened," the archangel mumbled quietly, swallowing hard and turning to help the hunter gather up the books. "He's… he's angry," he explained, running his tongue over his lips and avoiding the hunter's gaze. Sam only gave a quiet hum of acknowledgement, but he still seemed slightly confused. Michael simply stood again and turned, hesitating slightly and shooting uncertain glances between the bookshelf and the books he was holding.

"He seems to get… angry a lot," Sam said carefully, already beginning to put the books he was holding back. Michael continued to hesitate for a moment, but eventually stepped forward and did the same, following the hunter's lead. "About a lot of things…"

"Yes, he's very easily… frustrated, let's say," the archangel mumbled, somewhat awkwardly. "I thought it was a demon thing, at first, but it doesn't quite seem to be the case," he added, thinking back to the demon, Crowley, that had arrived. He didn't seem particularly angry - unless it came to Lucifer, at least - just mildly annoyed every so often. But, even then, it didn't amount to the rage that he was used to from Adam. "I just don't know…" He trailed off, faltering again.

Sam spared him a glance, the hunter falling silent for a long time after that. He finished putting away the books he had, and turned to pick up the others that had been scattered across the floor. "Demons are different," the hunter finally spoke, a little more confident, but still slightly wary. Michael paused at that, glancing over as he went back to putting the books away on the shelf. "Some are angry, others… well, honestly, I think they're all naturally angry. I guess some of them are just better at controlling it, I guess."

"That makes sense," Michael mumbled, frowning. "And considering Adam doesn't have much practice on that particular aspect…"

"It's harder for him to control," Sam finished, looking over at the archangel. Michael only frowned a little deeper at that thought, looking away. And he couldn't even help the demon, now, because… well, because he wasn't supposed to get in his business anymore.

The archangel put the last book on the shelf and turned away again, looking around. Most of the books had been picked up by now, only a few remaining; Michael picked those up while Sam took to gathering the pages that had been torn out, frowning all the while as he did so. The silence was sickening in itself; With each passing second, he felt even more hollow, and he hadn't even thought that was possible. Finally, unable to take it anymore, Michael stepped back and turned away completely, running his fingers through his hair and pressing his eyes shut.

Sam's voice was quiet when he spoke, but concerned all the same. "Are you… you alright?" He sounded less wary, less guarded, more worried than anything. Michael just shook his head, both as an answer and in an attempt to force his thoughts steady again. He hated this, being alone, in control. He hated it, because the only thing he could ever think of was Adam, and the fact that he wasn't there - well, he _was_ there, but he wasn't _there_. And the possibility that he wouldn't ever be _there _again, that they wouldn't ever be _whole _again, well, that was even worse.

"I don't know what to do," Michael mumbled, his voice breaking slightly as he buried his fingers into his hair, shaking his head again desperately. "I don't know- where to _begin_."

Sam was silent, seemingly waiting for Michael to continue; When the archangel didn't, the hunter slowly set the pages down on one of the other tables, and made his way over to stand beside Michael, keeping a comfortable distance but keeping close enough to let Michael know he was still there. "About?" He asked, gentle and concerned.

Michael didn't respond for a moment, still struggling against his own anxiety, his own worry. Finally, though, the archangel lowered his hands from his head, only to wrap them around himself as tight as he could. "I can't… I can't make things _right_…" He faltered, swallowed, and continued again. "I can't _do _things right. Everything I say, ev- everything I _do_, I just- I just… it's so _hard_… all the time."

Sam just stared at him, silent understanding flickering through his eyes, waiting for the archangel to continue. And he did, after a moment, his anxiety fading back into that deep, aching pain that was still just throbbing through his chest.

"I just want him to be happy," Michael breathed, closing his eyes again and shaking his head. "I want- I- I want- I want him to stop being so angry all the time, so _hurt_. I can feel it- I can feel how hurt he is, how furious he is, and it's just so _constant_. And it hurts- it hurts _me_, so I can't even imagine- I can't even _imagine _how it feels to him. And I try- I try… so hard to _help_, and I…" Tears were brewing now, slowly but surely, behind his eyelids; And he squeezed them shut even tighter, a desperate attempt to push them back. "It all just seems… so…"

"Impossible?" Sam asked quietly, and Michael could only nod. The hunter was silent for a while, and Michael took the chance to compose himself as much as he could, raising his hands again to rub at his eyes as he struggled to keep the tears back. His eyes stung, his throat felt tight.

"I just don't…" Michael shook his head a little bit, pressing his hands into his eyes now and trying to swallow down the lump that had risen in his throat, to no avail. If anything, it seemed to get even worse the more he tried to force it back. "I _really _don't know what to do, you know? It's like he's willing to- to let himself- to just- to let himself _drown _in this- this _anger_ and this _pain_, and I don't… I don't understand…" His voice quieted a little more. "Why he- he won't let me _help_."

"Sometimes… people push us away when they need us the most," Sam said quietly after a few seconds, tucking his hands into his pockets. Michael rubbed his eyes again, scrubbing them as dry as he could before finally forcing them open and sparing the hunter a hesitant glance. "It's like some kind of instinct, for the more stubborn ones, I guess. And it- it can happen to the best of us, if I'm honest." The hunter paused, glancing up briefly to meet Michael's gaze. "And, you know… you won't always… know how to help. How to make it better. What to say, what to do…" Sam trailed off for a moment, looking away. "... but you will. Eventually."

"Even if- even when he doesn't _want _me to?" Michael almost laughed, even though there was seriously, _seriously _nothing remotely funny about this situation. The archangel swallowed, running his fingers through his hair again, holding his hands over his head for a good few seconds before finally dropping his arms to his sides.

"_Especially_ then," Sam replied quietly. "Because that means he's not going to try hard enough for himself. And that just means he needs you even more. Even if he doesn't know it, and- and even if he's not willing to admit it." At this, Michael fell silent. Despite himself, Sam's words had actually calmed him down quite a bit - it made sense, it really did. But even then, he was still at a loss on how to begin, how to talk to Adam after everything that had happened, everything that had been said. He was still scared, on some level - but beyond that…

Sam was right - Adam needed him. Because he wasn't going to let anybody else get close enough. And he wasn't going to help himself.

Michael relaxed, slowly, the tension draining from his shoulders as he wrapped his arms around himself again, a little less tightly than before. He flicked his gaze back to Sam, who had turned back to the pages from the books, seemingly trying to sort out exactly what books they had belonged to. The archangel hesitated a bit, before taking a deep breath and speaking up once more. "... Thank you."

Sam glanced up, but he hardly missed a beat before he responded, offering a warm but sorrowful looking smile, almost wistful. "Thank _you_," he replied quietly, looking back down again. "You were there for Adam when we c- … when we weren't. When we should have been. And…" He trailed off, pulling a book off of the shelf and tucking one of the pages into it. "Well, it's clear that you care about each other. At the very least, you care about him. I'm just glad someone has his back." The hunter fell silent, looking down for a moment as he put the book back.

Michael nodded, shifting slightly on his feet. He glanced up at the hunter, eyebrows furrowing. He wondered if Sam was feeling guilty, too - if it was as strong as the guilty that he felt over the whole situation with Lucifer. He wondered if the hunter was drowning in it, just as lost, just as confused. Not knowing what to do, what to say - wondered if he was just as scared to try.

"I want him to be happy," the archangel repeated himself after a few seconds, hesitating, before he continued, "I want him to stop being angry. And… and I want him to stop being so angry at you and Dean, too." At this, Sam looked over at him, almost looking slightly surprised as the archangel continued on, quieter, "he does… deserve to be angry… and I'll support him no matter what he decides, but…" Michael glanced away for a moment, hesitating. "But… he deserves to be happy, too. So, I hope he does forgive you. Or, at least, I- I hope he can let go."

"Yeah," Sam's response was quiet, understanding. "Me, too." He seemed about to say more, only to pause and turn his head when Dean called for him from down the hall, a loud, echoey - "Sammy!" - and the hunter snorted a little and shook his head. "Just a second!" He yelled back, turning back to face Michael again and giving him a small nod. "I hope you work things out."

"You, too," Michael replied genuinely, and Sam managed a slight smile in response, putting the rest of the pages away before turning and leaving the room, just in time as Dean called out for him again. The archangel glanced after the hunter, then turned his head to look back at the bookshelves, letting his gaze flicker around the room slowly. Aside from the broken table and chair, both of which were stacked up in the corner, the room looked mostly decent.

He was still anxious. Still confused. Still nervous. But he was just a little bit calmer than he had been before Sam had entered the room, thinking just a little bit clearer, and that was what he needed. He still didn't know what to do about Adam, he still didn't know how to approach him, but he was a little more confident that he would be able to figure it out now. Just a little.

For a moment, he debated on leaving the library - but, no, bad idea. He would just get far too overwhelmed out there, anyway. So, he pulled a chair out and sat down, crossed his arms over the table, and closed his eyes. It was peaceful enough, and right then, he just needed to think.

_People push us away when they need us the most._ With Adam, Michael would have to remember that.


	24. Chapter 24

_You were doing just fine before you met him, and you'll do just fine once he leaves._

Adam just stared down and continued to swing, silent as ever. Michael had fallen asleep again - but this time, he had fallen asleep while in control, and, at the risk of waking him, the demon had decided it was probably best if he remained inside their head for the time being. And so, he had retreated to the park, swinging back and forth, back and forth, the soft creaking of the chains only enough to bring him out of his thoughts for a good few seconds before he was forced back in again. Forced to remember, to recall, the words Lucifer had said.

_You're a coward, _that had gotten to him, in a way he couldn't even begin to describe. It was infuriating and hurtful all at once, enough to leave him tense, wondering if he was right - but only because of his following words. _Hiding behind a mask of arrogance. Pushing away anybody who tries to get underneath. Because you can't stand the idea - not just of someone caring about you - but of you ending up reciprocating those feelings._

That had definitely hit just a little bit too close to home.

He already knew how he felt about Michael. That revelation had come during their last argument. The demon cared about him, on some level. Enough that he knew he wouldn't be able to function without him - but was that caring, or was that just need? Of course, he _cared _about the archangel. Hell, he was completely, utterly lost just because of the guilt that had come with hurting him, and the fear that he might have lost him forever. And sure, he was able to admit all of this in his own head, he didn't exactly have a choice. But when it came down to it - he didn't _know _how he felt about Michael. He didn't know what Michael was to him other than his 'body-buddy'. Of course, he'd thought about it, but not like this.

_You're like a brother to me, Adam. _The archangel's words rang in his head, and the demon quietly skidded the swing to a stop, looking down. He didn't even know if he could return that; He didn't know what a brother was really… supposed to _be_. He knew they weren't supposed to leave each other in Hell… the demon almost snorted, shaking his head a little and struggling to focus. A brother was definitely one way to describe it, on some level. At least, he assumed so.

It was so damn hard to grasp the idea, the thought that he actually, genuinely cared about Michael. He'd never thought about it before, not like this; He'd never really had to. But now, it was more than even that - he _wanted _to, he wanted to stop running from this. Somehow, it was making him feel even weaker than ever - and that was what he was trying to avoid.

Growing slightly irritated with himself, Adam pushed himself off of the swing and turned away with a frown. The memory gave away to that familiar, dizzying darkness before he had completely turned, leaving him in a completely, utterly blank area before it began to fill up again. His and Michael's memories flooded through, mixing and swirling, words and voices echoing through the demon's mind; Adam just began walking, silent, eyes fixed downwards, listening. He heard some things he remembered, himself, but some from Michael's side that he didn't.

One, in particular, caught his attention. He paused, but he didn't open the memory up, didn't try to dig a little deeper. He just listened, eyes narrowed, as Sam's voice echoed through the darkness, soft and compassionate - disgustingly so… but he reminded him of Michael in that aspect, so he couldn't exactly hate it as much as he wanted to.

"_You were there for Adam when we c- … when we weren't. When we should have been. And… Well, it's clear that you care about each other. At the very least, you care about him. I'm just glad someone has his back."_

At this, Adam finally faltered again. But there was no anger, just confusion, and pain. Sam was right; Michael had been there when no one else was - not that he'd had much of a choice. But he still could have left the second the Cage had opened, he could have left Adam right then and there, but he hadn't. He had waited with him, he had understood that neither of them were ready, understood that this was something they had needed to do together. The archangel had always… had his back, as Sam had said. But the thought made him feel hollow.

He was starting to realize it now, though, the reason he had gotten so irritated in the first place, the reason he had lashed out at Michael as he had. Not because of him, not really, but because he didn't understand how the archangel could care about him so much, when… the demon shook his head a little and shut his eyes, exhaling slowly through his teeth and turning away from the memory. It was so hard, trying to pick through his own emotions, figure out how he felt; With Michael, it was so simple. Why was is harder for him?

He glanced back, just for a moment, Sam's voice still echoing through the darkness. He continued to listen on for a while, letting it loop around, but eventually, he had to shut it out. He was even more confused by how genuine it had seemed, how resigned Sam seemed to be to it. The fact that an archangel had been a better brother to Adam than he had been. But he seemed genuinely glad, even through all of that, because at least the demon had still had someone. That confused Adam even more than he would have liked to admit…

Everything was confusing right then. He just wanted it all to _stop_, but he didn't even know how to do that much. How to make the constant whirlwind of thoughts and emotions just pause, just for one second, to just give him a brief moment of the clarity that he so badly needed.

He wanted to talk to Michael. So badly. Even if just for a second. But he couldn't even do that, because the damn archangel was asleep now… And Adam still didn't know where to begin. How to begin. The demon groaned a little, closed his eyes, and continued on his way through the darkness with a sigh. It was easier to be alone in his own head than it was to be in control by himself, but it still sucked that he couldn't break anything in here…

Adam made his way to the back of their mind, eventually searching for one memory in particular; The other park, the one they had gone to during their first night on Earth.

That was when everything had changed, Adam had noticed. They had only begun arguing when they'd come to Earth - and neither of them really knew why. It had been so sudden, their little disagreements. It had started out small, only to lead to this, their big blowout. The demon grimaced as he settled himself down on the bench, leaning his head back and looking up at the stars. He hated himself for thinking it, but a part of him wondered if Lucifer was right - if, if he pushed hard enough, he'd end up pushing Michael away. If… maybe he'd pushed too hard, and he already had. The thought, however, made his chest tighten, so he tried to ignore that.

He sat there for a while, just staring up, struggling against the exhaustion that was starting to cloud his mind. He didn't understand it, they'd been resting more than ever - maybe it was being 'separated', that had made them spiral into this. Being ripped in half, no longer whole. It probably, definitely, took some kind of toll - and maybe that toll was making them tired as hell. The demon was torn between letting himself rest a little more, or staying awake; But he _wanted _to stay awake, just long enough for Michael to wake up.

_And what, exactly, do I plan to say to him, anyway? _The demon groaned a little bit and crossed both of his arms over his face, sinking a little deeper into the bench. That was the hard part; Starting the conversation. But he still _wanted _to - before it was too late, if it wasn't already. And if it was, then he wanted to know. He needed to know. How they were supposed to proceed. Would they just allow themselves to fall apart? Was there any other option, if they had already been completely ripped, and severed into two different halves again, anyway?

But even with that chance, with that fear lingering in the air, something had to be done, something had to be said. Because Lucifer's words were still there, lingering at the front of his mind, and it was damn well driving him crazy. If he hadn't been able to function before, then he most certainly wouldn't be able to now, with the Devil's smug-ass voice in his head… idiot…

… He genuinely hated that, the fact that Lucifer seemed to know exactly what to say. Like the Devil had known exactly what made him tick, and what buttons to press to make him just about explode. That thought didn't settle too well with him - but the honesty, he had to admit, the honesty was always welcome. He missed the comfort and the calm and the compassion that Michael provided, but there was nothing like being knocked down a few more pegs, especially if the person knocking you down had a pretty damn valid point. Didn't piss him off any less, but.

Thinking about that, though, about honesty, another realization struck.

This one was even more sickening. The insistence, the way he told himself he didn't care - about Michael, about Lucifer, about his brothers, all of it. The way he distanced himself, refused to get close - pushed others away and pretended he was fine with that… that was _lying_, he was _lying_, even if only to himself - and that realization struck something the second the thoughts had crossed his mind, striking the highest _chord_, and now he couldn't take it back.

Nor could he take back the sudden, deep, _hatred _that had flared up.

"Motherfucker…" Adam breathed, burying his face into his hands at once and screwing his eyes shut as tight as possible. That explosive rage was beginning to bloom again, fingers twitching and every muscle in his body pulled taut with the just barely-restrained anger, just enough to keep him sitting exactly where he was so that he didn't take control and tear the rest of the library apart. Here he was, despising Sam and Dean for lying to him, when he'd been doing this the entire time. Lying to himself, deceiving himself, out of _fear_.

The hatred continued to brew, unshakeable - not that he was really trying to shake it. No, he let it come now, let it all flow as freely as possible, but the rage, he stifled. The rage didn't hurt as much as this terrifying realization, nor was it comparable to the agony he experienced upon realizing that the line he'd drawn between himself and his brothers was getting less and less clear with each passing second. There was nothing like that kind of _pain_, and he welcomed it.

Until, at least, Michael woke up.

It took a second for the emotions to register on both accounts; Michael was still mildly exhausted, and Adam was simply completely frozen. But, even then, he did something he hadn't tried to do in a really long time; He pressed a little, only slightly, finally trying to get a little deeper than the distance they had put between them. Michael almost recoiled in response, but then he was still. And then, slowly but surely, he was prodding back in response, uncertain.

And then, that was it- once Adam really registered the emotions for the first time - the fear, the confusion, the desperation - he couldn't do it anymore, he just wasn't that strong-willed, not when it came to this. The demon lifted his head from his hands, but only to press his chin against his knuckles, staring ahead over the park for a long, long time.

It had already been too long. Adam was sick of it. Michael was as close as he could be, and yet he'd _never_ felt further away than he did now.

Adam closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He still didn't know what he wanted to say, but he knew where he wanted to start, and he knew that he wanted to stop _lying_, to Michael, and to himself. It wasn't fair, not to either of them - and, _fuck_, Adam didn't want to become his brothers. He didn't want to live his life based on lies. He didn't want to run from how he felt, even if it did make him weak - but, if he was being honest, he'd never felt weaker than he had since he had taken off. He certainly had never felt more alone.

And on Michael's end, it didn't seem much better.

Finally, unable to take it much more, the demon straightened up and opened his eyes again. "Michael, I-"

He barely got the second word out before Michael had appeared, at once, at the sound of his name. Adam jerked back a little bit, more startled than anything, and in response, the archangel ended up taking several steps back, a guilty look replacing the worried expression that had been written across his face at once. "Sorry, I…"

"No, it…" Adam shook his head, trailing off. Unimportant; That was unimportant. There were much more pressing matters that they needed to discuss, more problems that they needed to get through. And, hell, maybe it was unfixable, Adam didn't know anymore, but he knew, more than ever, that he wanted - no, he _needed _to try, because clearly, this just wasn't doing this for either of them. The demon looked away, just for a second, before slowly pushing himself to stand. It was now or never; All in or all out.

"We…" Adam ran his tongue over his lips, took a deep breath, and turned back to the archangel. Michael just stood absolutely still, staring back at him, nothing but concern in his eyes. "We need to talk."


	25. Chapter 25

Michael just watched, careful, as Adam turned back to him. There was something deeper, something heavier mixed in with the emotions swirling around inside of the demon. Something much more complex - but something had _changed_. The archangel just couldn't tell exactly what, not yet. But it scared him, on some level - part of him wondered if, this was it. If Adam maybe finally wanted him to leave; Of course, if he did, Michael would, that was just a given - he still followed the rules - but it didn't make him any less anxious, it didn't make it hurt any less.

"Michael…" Adam grumbled a little, the expression on his face easily shifting back into that familiar irritation, and Michael almost smiled despite himself - he would have, if his own anxiety wasn't literally crushing him to his very soul right then. The demon only shook his head, seemingly trying to shake off his own annoyance, and took a step forward. "Calm down."

"Sorry," Michael mumbled, staring at him. All the things that he wanted to say, that he still wasn't sure how to say, they were right there on the tip of his tongue. So many things, so many words that he still couldn't figure out to express. He hated it - it had never been so hard to talk to Adam before, and this was just painful. Still, as the demon took in a breath and opened his mouth to speak, the rush of anxiety was overpowering; He needed to say something, anything, before the demon could speak, before the demon could ask him to leave, before it really was over. Michael knew he had messed up, but he wasn't ready for this, not _now_.

So, he spoke, he said the one thing that came to his mind. And he meant it - but he faltered, because he wasn't expecting for Adam to have said it at the same time: "I'm sorry."

They both paused, blinked, and recoiled, staring at each other.

Michael was… stunned. Genuinely. He hadn't been expecting that - not from Adam. And the demon, well, he didn't exactly look shocked, but still mildly surprised, and a little miffed at the interruption of his own apology. Michael opened and closed his mouth, but at this point, there was nothing else he could say. An apology was the last thing he had thought he would get from the demon. He hadn't wanted one - and he certainly didn't believe he deserved one.

"Wow," Adam deadpanned after a few moments, just staring at him with a look of mild confusion, but there was also definitely some irritation sparkling through his eyes now.

"You're- what-" Michael could only manage that, not quite sure what to say afterwards. Adam only managed to huff out a quiet, half-hearted sounding laugh, tearing his gaze away from the archangel and looking around wordlessly. Michael continued to stare even then, trying to catch Adam's gaze despite the fact that the demon seemed to be avoiding looking at him at that point. "Adam…?"

"I'm _sorry_, okay?" Adam repeated, a little more desperately this time. He spoke almost angrily, but there was no fury swirling through him, no rage bubbling up. In fact, there was only a deep sense of uncertainty, confusion… fear. The demon scowled a little, dropping his gaze.

Michael was definitely relieved that he wasn't being asked to leave, but beyond that, yeah, he was most definitely more confused than when he'd started out. The archangel paused, just for a second, before taking a few steps forward. Adam didn't move, didn't even tense - hell, he didn't even look up. "Okay…" The archangel started, bewilderment evident in his tone. "... why?"

Adam's gaze lifted slowly, a deadpan expression replacing the frustration. "... Are you fuckin' kidding me?" He demanded icily, eyes narrowing.

Michael just stared, thinking back to the argument. In response, Adam had dropped his gaze rather quickly, eyes darkening considerably, while Michael only frowned. "... Adam, I-" The archangel paused, inhaling deeply, and shook his head. "I appreciate that, I do, but I'm not- I'm not _angry _about…" He stared at the demon, almost quizzically. "I shouldn't have butted in where I didn't belong. That- That was my fault, not yours. You shouldn't…"

"Don't tell me I shouldn't be _sorry_, asshole," Adam groaned a little bit, his gaze snapping back up at once as he glared at the archangel. "After what I said, I'm surprised you can even look me in the eyes now. You're really going to stand there and tell me that I didn't hurt you with that?"

At this, Michael faltered. No, it definitely _had _hurt, but hadn't he deserved that?

Adam just stared at him, a mixture of disgust and horror flickering through his eyes now. "... nobody _deserves_ to- okay, listen." The demon took several steps forward. "Apology out of the way, I'm not fuckin' saying it again while I have just a little bit of pride left. But I don't get it, Michael, why- why do you think so _lowly _of yourself, huh?"

"What?" Michael furrowed his eyebrows, taken aback by that. Adam just groaned a little and shook his head, burying his face into his hands for a good few seconds and falling completely, utterly silent. It took a while for Michael to realize what the demon had meant, but even then, it only made him more confused. "I don't… know, Adam, I…" He hesitated, watching as the demon looked up again. "But this isn't about me. Are you… okay?"

"No, I'm _not _okay," Adam insisted, looking even more bewildered now. "Because of _that_. Even after everything, you're _still _worried about me! How do you- _why_ do you-" He stopped, quite obviously struggling, and Michael took a few more steps forward, his concern intensifying. "Why do you _care_ so much?" The demon finally demanded, desperation lacing his words. "Why do you care so much about- about _me_, when… when…" At this, he stopped, unable to continue.

"Because you're my friend," Michael insisted, only really knowing how true the words were after he had said them. He went silent for a moment, blinking as he thought that over, and Adam had fallen silent, as well. He looked startled, if only slightly, wide eyes meeting Michael's. The archangel hesitated a little, but he didn't say anything else.

"... No- _no_, I mean- I mean, how-" Adam started again, seeming to lose his nerve just a little bit after that. He took a second to compose himself, and Michael took an instinctive step forward. The demon just shook his head, not quite relaxing, but he spoke a little clearer now. "How do you care more about me than my own brothers?" He sounded almost desperate, confused, looking up and searching Michael's face desperately.

Michael blinked. Adam only faltered, recoiling again, and looked away once more, rooting his gaze to the ground instead. It took a while for the archangel to be able to respond, not really sure what to say to that. "I…" He swallowed, hesitating, before asking in response, "I don't know, Adam. How do you care more about me than my own Father?"

He didn't know if that was the right thing to say, but Adam had actually choked out a slight laugh at that for some reason, albeit a bitter-sounding one. And the tension seemed to have left him, so that was even better. They were both silent for a while after that, and Michael only watched as Adam's eyebrows furrowed, as the gears in his head turned, seemingly searching for an answer to that. Finally, bringing his arms up to cross them behind his head, he did respond.

"... because you're my friend."

Michael's lips twitched slightly, wanting to smile despite the way his eyes stung sharply at those words, despite the heat that had brewed up, the tears just waiting to surface. Adam didn't look back up, mouth twisting slightly, almost a frown, but not quite. Michael only gazed at him for a few moment longer, eyes searching the demon's carefully. The things he wanted to say seemed a little less impossible now, but he still didn't know how to put them into words. Judging by the way Adam shifted, opening and closing his mouth, he was having the same problem.

"I'm sorry…" The archangel started without quite thinking about it, and he hesitated as Adam's eyes flickered up almost immediately. "I'm sorry," Michael started again, frowning. "For… for butting in where I don't belong, trying to interfere with you and the Winchesters."

Adam only huffed out a quiet but sarcastic sounding laugh and looked down again, screwing his eyes shut and shaking his head desperately. "I wish you knew how much I've been wishing you'd start interfering again," he muttered breathlessly, and Michael's eyebrows furrowed slightly, watching him. "I just- no, you know what…" The demon swallowed, opening his eyes and looking up again. "You don't interfere. It's your business as much as it is mine."

Michael blinked, eyebrows furrowing slightly in confusion at that. "But…"

"You're a part of my life, too, Michael," Adam interrupted, his voice quieting a little bit. He looked away, only to quickly redirect his attention back to the archangel immediately. "Hell, you're- you're a part of _me_, okay? I- you've been…" The demon trailed off, swallowing, and continued, "you've been more of a brother to me than… than they have. Sure, maybe- maybe it was annoying, but I'd rather- I'd rather have you in my life than not."

That was all Michael needed to hear for him to be able to relax, the rest of the tension between them seeming to dissolve all too easily. He blinked a few times, struggling to clear his vision as it blurred. No tears had welled up yet, but it was getting close despite his efforts to fight it back. "Oh," was all he mumbled, despite the relief that flooded through him.

Adam glanced up at him again, eyebrows furrowing slightly. After a while, he seemed to relax, himself, shoulders dropping as he lowered his arms back to his sides. "You know, it's funny," he admitted, a dry, mirthless smile tugging at his lips, "it's only been a day, but it feels like it's been forever since we've been able to actually hold a civil conversation." He rolled his eyes. "Hell, forget that, it feels like all we've done since we've got to Earth is fight…"

"Yeah," Michael agreed quietly, lips twitching slightly despite himself. He raised a hand to rub at his eyes, shrugging a little bit. "It's because we suddenly have things to disagree about. It's not all black and white anymore, the way it was in the Cage." He fell silent for a moment, smile fading. "Guess we're not always going to be able to get along now."

"We're just going to have to get used to that," Adam sighed. Michael let out a low, quiet hum of agreement and looked away, diverting his eyes to the sky. He let his gaze flicker over the stars, and, after a few seconds, Adam tilted his own head back to look up, speaking up again quietly. "I'm not ready to forgive Sam and Dean, Michael."

"I know." Michael fell silent, hesitating a little. "I just want you to be- I want what's best for you, Adam. Whether you forgive them or not, I just hate seeing you so…" He trailed off and shook his head a little bit. But the demon gave a quiet hum of acknowledgement, letting the archangel know that he understood. "And… I hope you know I'm with you," he added, looking back down. "Whatever happens."

"I know," Adam mumbled, a very faint, relieved smile appearing on his face for just a second. "And I'm… I'm grateful, Michael. Even though my sorry ass has a horrible way of showing it."

"Oh, hush…" Michael protested, but his own smile was tugging at his lips now, despite himself. Adam only shrugged in response, looking away, but his smile didn't fade for a while after that. When it did, Michael took a deep breath and finally crossing the distance between them. "So, are we…" He furrowed his eyebrows. "Are we… okay?"

"I hope so," Adam mumbled, "because I've had enough Earth-shattering revelations and roller-coastery emotions for one fucking day."

Despite himself, Michael cracked up.

Adam just rolled his eyes, looking up at him in silence for a moment. What happened next was unexpected, but certainly welcome all the same; The demon stepped forward and reached out, grabbing the front of the archangel's shirt and pulling him into a hesitant but firm hug.

It didn't take too long, at all, for Michael to wrap his arms around the demon in response, despite his initial shock. He must have really needed it - they both must have - for Adam to have initiated it, because he most certainly wasn't one for physical affection. The demon was silent, face buried into the archangel's shoulder, and the relief and contentment radiating from him was almost just as stunning. But, after a moment, that shock fizzled out, turning into something much warmer. It was the closest thing to happiness that he'd ever felt from Adam, which was both relieving and so, so pleasing - the realization that, yes, he was capable of being happy, or at least something close to it. So maybe, just maybe, he could help him after all.

Michael closed his eyes, leaning his head slightly against Adam's and letting out a slow, content sigh, and Adam finally relaxed completely in response.

"Thanks," the demon mumbled after a while, his voice muffled. "For not giving up."

"On you?" Michael almost laughed, the thought was absolutely ridiculous - here stood his best friend, the one he thought of as a brother, the one person in the world he was actually truly connected to in every sense of the word, and he genuinely thought there was a possibility… "Never," the archangel sighed, pulling away. "I can promise you that."

Adam rolled his eyes a little bit as he pulled away, himself, taking a step back. "I'll hold you to that, halo," he warned, but there was no edge to his words.

"You do that." Michael paused for a moment, looking around. They'd both took turns sleeping on and off throughout practically the whole day - needless to say, Michael actually felt rather energized. Not quite enough - and definitely not enough to be at full power, or anything close to it - but he definitely wasn't tired. Adam seemed to both agree and yet disagree, which was actually somewhat amusing, on some level.

"By the way, would you mind if I punched your brother?" The demon asked suddenly, eyes narrowing.

Michael paused at that, sparing Adam a curious look and quirking an eyebrow slightly. "Which one?" He tilted his head, and Adam shrugged.

"Lucifer."

"... Adam, do you have a death wish?"


	26. Chapter 26

"Well, look who's back among the living!"

Adam rolled his eyes a little as Michael brought them further into the room. Both of them were a little surprised to see everybody was gathered around - well, everybody who mattered, that was. Lucifer was side by side with Sam, checking over a book, while Crowley and the red-head - Rowena - were reading over a paper. Castiel and Gabriel were peering over their shoulders, reading along, and Dean was in the far back, pacing the length of the room with a scowl on his face. Crowley and Lucifer both raised their heads in sync, it took Sam a good few seconds to rip his focus away from the book, Castiel only spared a half-second glance upwards, Dean just retreated as far away as he could without it being _too _noticeable that he was trying to distance himself from them, and Rowena and Gabriel both, not giving any shits whatsoever, continued scanning the paper.

It was Lucifer who had spoken, a smug smile written across his face, and Adam couldn't resist sneering back at him in response. He would have been angry if he wasn't so… well, _content_ at the moment, but if he was being completely honest, he didn't think even Sam and Dean could piss him off right then. "And about time, too," Lucifer added slyly, looking back down at the book.

"We think we might have found something," Sam explained, shifting his focus back to Adam and Michael. He studied them carefully, and while Adam only stared, Michael had managed to tug their lips upwards into a very small, reassuring smile, one that was returned with ease. "Well, Belphegor did." It took a moment to remember that Belphegor was Lucifer.

"It's called the Crook," Lucifer began, tilting his head upwards toward them again. Adam raised an eyebrow, and a spark of recognition flared up in Michael's chest at that. "Lilith used it when she began sending demons to Earth. A way to keep them from straying - to call them back whenever she saw fit." The Devil straightened a little, adjusting his sleeves and leaning forward against the table as his smug smile seemed to widen ever so slightly. "It's basically a horn."

"Yes…" Michael blinked, seeming intrigued. "Yes, I do remember. It was talked about quite frequently in Heaven among the archangels. We were concerned…" He trailed off and shook their head a little bit, while Adam simply drew them closer to get a good look at the book. It wasn't anything he could quite make out, so he just squinted, glared, and spared another glance back up toward Lucifer and Sam, the latter of which reached behind him to grab something off of another table. He handed it over a moment later - a beer, as he'd tried to offer them before.

Adam just stared for a moment, silent, before slowly reaching out and taking it. He didn't say anything, though - no, he hadn't reached that point.

"The plan is for Belphegor to use the horn to call the souls and such back to Hell, and then Rowena's going to use a spell to lock them back in again," Sam was saying, opening his own bottle - a water, though, not a beer, and Adam quirked an eyebrow slightly but said nothing.

"It's basically a win-win situation. Souls go back in Hell…" Lucifer started, looking amused.

"Goodbye, apocalypse. Again," Sam finished, exchanging a glance with the Devil and giving him a small nod, which was returned only by a very faint, amused smile. Adam snorted slightly, while Michael just nodded, both intrigued and impressed by the plan. The demon looked down, twisting the top off of the beer, and Michael immediately brought it to their lips to take a sip. It tasted… well, it tasted like _beer_, and they didn't exactly like it, but… eh, what the hell, right? At least it had a taste. It had been a while since Adam had tasted _anything_… except blood, but…

"So how do you two feel about going to Hell?" Lucifer asked sweetly, and it took both Adam and Michael a good few seconds to register that he was talking to them. At once, the demon almost ended up spitting the beer out, while Michael just gave a sharp inhale, which caused both of them to choke. Lucifer just muttered a faintly surprised-sounding "oh" and fell silent.

Gabriel promptly started snickering. Even Crowley and Rowena coughed out a few chuckles. Sam just looked concerned, Dean hadn't paused his pacing, and Castiel just sighed.

"Uh…" Sam spoke up, awkwardly, as Adam just gasped, clearing their throat. Michael was holding the beer bottle as far away from them as possible, as if the damn thing had actually grown arms and had just actively tried to strangle them itself, not that the demon could even blame him, because holy _shit_. "Are you okay?" The hunter checked, waiting for the coughing to subside before he spoke up again, frowning.

"No!" Adam insisted, while Michael just cleared their throat, giving a half-hearted thumbs up. "What the fuck?!" The demon shook their head vigorously, while Michael just ended up putting the beer down on the table and backing away. Yeah, neither of them had liked that a bit. Gabriel was practically doubled over laughing then, and Rowena and Crowley were having even more trouble keeping their laughter at bay. Lucifer, however, was just grinning ear to ear.

"Is that a no on Hell?" Lucifer checked, tilting his head faintly to the side. Adam just stared at him, almost in disbelief. "I mean, it won't be so bad," the Devil continued, raising an eyebrow. "It's not like it's the Cage, I mean. All we'll be doing is finding a horn, blowing said horn, sucking the souls in and slamming the door shut behind them, or whatever." He gestured a hand vaguely. "And then we leave again. Simple."

"I- _why_?" Adam demanded, still dumbfounded, but surprisingly not irritated at all. Michael was just speechless, staring at his brother. "Why us?"

"I need an angel," Lucifer responded blankly, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back slightly. Gabriel rolled his eyes slightly from where he stood, and visibly bit down on his lip and looked away as the Devil continued idly, "the few demons that have seen Lilith's chamber have said that most things are encrypted in Enochian."

Adam just stared at him, eyes narrowing slightly. He had to bite his tongue, as well, to keep himself from reminding the Devil that he could read Enochian, considering he had been an angel before, anyway. Michael's own confusion seemed to mount even further at the thought, both of them left wondering what the hell Lucifer _really _wanted with them.

"Besides, I don't wanna walk through Hell alone. That's just depressing," Lucifer added conversationally, shrugging slightly. "If it's even empty, that is, so…" He quirked an eyebrow questioningly, and Adam shook their head a little bit, trying to clear his mind. Michael had fallen silent, though, and after a little bit of prodding, the demon realized that the archangel was genuinely considering it. Adam tore his gaze away from Lucifer at once, blinking.

"You can't be serious," he insisted, and Michael shrugged their shoulders slightly, frowning. "You want to go _back _to Hell, halo? What the fuck?" He demanded, not quite angry, but most certainly puzzled. They had just gotten free - and maybe it had been rocky for a while, but even Adam had to admit that it was better than the Cage, better than Hell.

_Think about it like this- Lucifer wants us down there for a reason, _Michael explained, and Adam raised his eyebrows slightly. _He can decipher Enochian easily - I mean, I literally taught him the language, and it was the first one I'd learned from… _The archangel's thoughts faded out, just for a second, before he continued. _Point is, he doesn't need us for that, but there has to be a reason. One he just can't say now, I guess- for obvious reasons… _

"Ugh_…_" Adam groaned.

_Come on, _Michael encouraged, _it'll be fine. You wanna help save the world, don't you? _Adam didn't respond, only quirked an eyebrow, and there was a long, awkward pause from Michael, before the archangel continued, _so that, you know, this can all be over and the universe can be safe and we can actually get back to our life and be free and, oh, hey, nobody dies?_

"_Ugh_," Adam groaned, yet again, but he gave in, much to the archangel's delight. Truthfully enough, the demon couldn't withstand Michael's pleading for too long - he didn't even know why, but he always ended up caving. "Fucking hell… fucking archangel… _fuck_." The demon scowled and turned his gaze back to Lucifer, who was smirking once more, pleased as ever. "You, _you _can go to Hell."

"That's the plan. I'll see you there," Lucifer responded with a low snicker, and Adam twitched slightly, about to retort, but Michael reigned him in again. The demon huffed, but he wasn't as irritated as he would have been. Honestly, he kind of welcomed the interruption this time, having missed it for long enough. "Shouldn't take you too long to get settled then, right?" The Devil added, turning toward Sam, who nodded and spared a glance down at the book.

"No. Rowena, Crowley and I are going to be in the crypt, and Dean'll be waiting by the rift while Cas and Gabriel keep watch-" Sam responded, only to be interrupted by Gabriel.

"Actually, I'd like to go with the three musketeers over here," the archangel spoke rather coldly as he spoke that last word, and Lucifer's head slowly turned in his direction, eyebrows raising ever so slightly. Michael paused, and Adam glanced between the two as Gabriel narrowed his eyes toward Lucifer, who only cocked his head in response. "Just in case. Michael's still not at full power- if something goes wrong, then they're all toast. Besides, someone has to make sure this guy doesn't try anything. Isn't that right?"

Dean grunted slightly, almost in agreement, and even Castiel seemed to agree, sparing Lucifer an oddly hostile glance before rooting his gaze back to the list, silent as ever. Michael only frowned slightly, biting back a sigh, and Adam had to keep back a snort - honestly, he wasn't even worried about that. Lucifer's intentions seemed good enough, but even then, Adam's only problem with it would be how Michael would take it - but, since Michael wasn't worried, the demon wasn't going to dwell on that too much right then either.

Sam seemed to disagree, glancing between the two with a frown. "Don't you think you'd be more useful up here?" He checked, looking over at Gabriel.

"I think Cassie boy can keep the souls away from Dean just fine on his own," Gabriel responded, cheerful once more, as he turned and patted his younger brother on the back. Castiel just narrowed his eyes and looked over at the archangel, almost a glare, but not quite; Gabriel only grinned cheekily in response. "Amirite?"

"I will protect Dean with my life, yes," Castiel responded stiffly. At those words, Dean visibly paused his pacing, just for a second, before he continued. Adam just raised an eyebrow at the both of them, and at the faint rush of pride from Michael's side, a small smile tugging at their lips; Adam wiped that one away quickly, shaking his head slightly and rolling his eyes.

"Well, the more the merrier," Lucifer spoke up, matching Gabriel's enthusiasm with ease. That seemed to annoy the archangel, who spared the Devil a faintly irritated glance as he continued on, "you're welcome to join us on our road trip. You know, if it gives you a little peace of mind." He offered Gabriel a sweet smile, then pushed himself back, nudging his shoulder against Sam's. "I'm gonna help them get set up at the crypt. Where's the extra shotgun?"

"In the trunk. It's loaded already," Sam responded, and Lucifer turned to leave at once, sparing Adam and Michael a brief grin as he passed before disappearing from the room. The hunter sighed and flipped the book shut, rubbing his forehead and stepping around the table.

"Wait, we're going now?" Adam questioned, eyes widening slightly.

"Well, it's best to get this over with as soon as we can," Sam said carefully, handing the book over to Rowena, who accepted it happily. "The salt circle isn't going to be able to hold for much longer, and if those souls get out, it'll be… bad. Really bad. So we have to act fast."

"Ah, jeez," Adam mumbled, shaking his head a little. He still didn't quite know how he felt about having to go back to Hell. He was just getting used to the idea of Earth - I mean, he was actually starting to _like _it, for fuck's sake. The demon made a face and looked down, reaching out for the beer again. Michael was silent, for the most part, but there was nothing but sympathy radiating from the archangel as he lifted the beer to their lips and took a much slower, careful sip.

"It'll be alright," Sam murmured, pausing beside them. He hesitated slightly, then took a deep breath and turned to face the demon and the archangel again, studying their face carefully. "Things seem a little… better between you two," the hunter said slowly, and Adam arched an eyebrow faintly in response, ignoring the slightly sheepish feeling that was stirring up in Michael's chest now. "Did you work things out?"

"We did," Michael spoke before Adam could retort with some snippy comeback, and the demon offered a slight scowl but didn't say anything. "Thank you, again, by the way."

"You still suck-" Adam started, unsure why he felt the need to at least say _something _rude to his brother, but Michael cut him off rather quickly before he could do so, reeling him back in and chiding him internally as they watched Sam's eyebrows furrow, bewildered, before the realization slowly crept in. Of course, it still had to be disorienting with them both talking to him at once, like this - Adam was almost, _almost _amused…

"Oooo-kay, let's go," Michael sighed, taking a few steps back, and Adam rolled their eyes slightly. "We should catch up with Bel, shouldn't we, Adam?" The archangel added quickly, and the demon twitched, ever so slightly. He still didn't like lying, even if it was for Lucifer, and even if it _was_ to his good-for-nothing brothers, but… the demon sighed.

"Yyyyep."

"Yeah, so- good luck with the spell, hope it works," Michael chirped, and with that, he spun them both around to leave. Adam just gave a low hum, briefly catching Sam's confused gaze as the archangel marched them straight out of the room. It was only then, in between sips of their beer, did Adam suddenly burst into snickers; Michael only paused for a second, before continuing on, a bit of amusement creeping up in his chest for a second. "What?"

"You're an idiot," was all Adam said, swallowing a few more mouthfuls and clearing his throat slightly after he'd swallowed. "So… back to Hell, eh?"

"Guess so." Michael was silent for a moment, slowing his pace ever so slightly, but he continued on. Adam retreated after a few seconds, only holding enough control to continue sipping at the beer. The archangel waited, and patiently so, as the demon took another sip, speaking up again after they had swallowed. "If you really have a problem with it, you know we don't have to-"

"Oh, it's all good. Gives me a good chance to punch Lucifer," Adam responded casually, and Michael immediately spared a glance over their shoulder, just to ensure they weren't being followed by one of the Winchesters. No, it was only Gabriel, but he was still far enough behind - not that it mattered, as he already _knew_, anyway - talking with Rowena as they continued on. "Relax, halo, I'm not that reckless…"

"Just being careful…" Michael mumbled, clearly paranoid, but he turned ahead again and continued walking. "Anyway, if you say so. Just let me know if you're uncomfortable with it, and we can turn back, okay?" He checked, and Adam shrugged, taking another sip.

"Whatever, man."


	27. Chapter 27

Michael stood side by side with his brothers, blinking as he stared down into… well, Hell. He could see something red down below, but it didn't look like fire - more like the red bricks that made up the hallways, he could recall. It wasn't anything like Stull Cemetery - much more unnerving, to be completely honest, and come to think of it, even as they'd exited, there wasn't an opening in the ground from above when they had reached the Earth, as if it had closed up behind them on its own. The archangel furrowed his eyebrows, but didn't say anything.

No, it was Adam who spoke, just moments later. "... No, I'm not doing this," the demon leaned back, as if to back off, and Michael would have let him - but Lucifer extended a hand at once to keep them from going anywhere, an amused smile forming on his face for a second. "Dude, I _swear_, motherfucker, I will end you," Adam warned, shooting another glance down into the hole.

"Not scared of heights, now, are you, Adam?" Lucifer asked innocently, but he was smirking. Michael spared his brother a warning look, one that he wasn't even sure Lucifer had seen, but it was nothing compared to the death glare that appeared on their face as the demon turned to face the Devil, eyes narrowing even further.

"Do you wanna _die?"_

"Okay, we literally have no time for this," Gabriel sighed, nibbling on a candy cane as he turned to glance back toward the crypt, and then toward where Dean was waiting, the hunter's eyes narrowed faintly as he stared toward the tear in the ground. Michael paused, turning to spare a glance over their shoulder - letting his guard down, which was a huge mistake. One second, they were just standing there; The next, Lucifer had grabbed them by the shoulder, and shoved.

"WHAT THE FUCK-!" They yelled out, both Adam _and _Michael, as they were forced forward. Their pupils shrunk the second they realized the ground had disappeared from beneath them, that they were falling, falling straight into Hell, just like before. A rush of panic gripped them both at once, eyes fixed downwards as they watched the bottom of the rupture get closer, and closer. Adam widened their eyes slightly, but Michael forced them shut, gasping.

When they landed, they landed hard. Before they could crash to the ground completely, however, a hand gripped the back of their shirt, keeping them steady; Adam didn't want to open their eyes, and to be honest, neither did Michael, but a stifled, irritated sigh was all they needed to hear to know that it was Gabriel. And then, when Lucifer landed beside them barely a second later, the Devil was practically cackling. "That wasn't so hard, see? I mean, you're alive!"

Michael finally peeked one eye open and turned to look at his brother as Gabriel released them, the archangel rolling his own eyes slightly at his brother's antics and biting off the tip of the candy cane with a bored hum. Adam blinked the other eye open after a second, taking yet a few more moments to recover, still, and Michael didn't blame him - and then, abruptly, the demon whirled around, reeled back, and punched Lucifer as hard as he could.

Michael didn't even bother trying to stop him, because in all honesty, his brother had kind of deserved that. He did, however, reign Adam back in again when the demon went in for another punch - though he didn't attempt to stifle the curses Adam was spitting at his brother. "You fucking _ass_, I swear I'm gonna _rip _your _fucking _throat out with my _teeth _don't you _ever_-"

It took Lucifer a moment to set his jaw again, rubbing the side of his face. "Wow," was all he muttered, amusement lacing his words like venom; Adam tried to lunge again, and Michael figured that was as good a time as any to push the demon back down, quickly taking as much control as he could without completely forcing Adam out, just enough to be able to skip backwards a couple steps. Lucifer, however, didn't seem at all angry at being punched - if anything, he seemed slightly impressed - nor did he do anything to retaliate. He simply brushed himself off, turned, and looked around. "Sorry, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. The good news is, we're here, so let's get on going, shall we?"

Adam hissed, and Michael shushed him one last time before hesitantly allowing him to take control again. The demon was scowling as Lucifer headed off, hands in his pockets, casual as ever, but he didn't make another move to attack. Gabriel just spared them a glance - now looking ever so slightly amused - before he followed his brother.

"I'm gonna kill him," the demon vowed, eyes narrowed to slits.

Michael sighed a little bit and shook their head, sparing a glance upwards. "No, you're not," he chided, honestly somewhat amused. "You care about him too much to-"

"_Bet_."

Michael paused at that, eyebrows raising, and he almost huffed out a laugh, as well. But he forced himself to focus again rather quickly, running their fingers through their hair and taking in a deep, steady breath - which he held for a second - before letting it out in a low sigh. After a moment, watching his brothers carefully as Gabriel caught up to Lucifer and muttered something to him - to which Lucifer responded with a snicker - the archangel tilted his head. "... Nice punch, though, by the way."

"Oh, you have no idea how long I've been prepared to do that," Adam responded coldly, though his fury was dissolving into a mixture of amusement and satisfaction now as Michael brushed them off, spared one last glance upwards, and followed after his brothers. "Seriously, I've been waiting… so long…"

"I bet you have, Adam."

* * *

They continued on in silence, for the most part, somewhat content despite where they were. Well, aside from Gabriel; Every so often, the archangel would tense for no apparent reason as they passed random doors. Other times, he would simply walk around to the other side, avoiding doorways and places that branched off into different hallways. Michael wanted to ask about it, but he refrained for fear of making the archangel uncomfortable. As for Lucifer, he simply continued on his way, walking forward with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Hate this… so fucking much…" Gabriel grumbled after a while, eyeing one of the statues as they passed. Adam reached out every so often toward the torches, lighting them easily as he continued on, and Michael smiled a little despite himself as he watched the flames burst to life at the demon's fingertips. He didn't often display his powers - mostly, the archangel knew, because he forgot he even had any - but it was always intriguing when he did.

"I know, I know, you don't trust your dear big brother Lucifer," Lucifer drawled out sarcastically, forcing Michael to redirect his attention back to his two younger brothers as he frowned, sensing the tension rising almost immediately. "What, you think I'm leading you into some kind of double-crossing trap or something, G?"

"That's _exactly _what I think, Lucifer. Gosh, you're so smart," Gabriel said mockingly, and Lucifer huffed out a half-frustrated, half-defeated sigh and shook his head as he strode on. Gabriel made a face at his brother's back in return, and Michael had to resist the urge to smack both of them over the backs of their heads the way he used to do when they argued like that. But things were different now, and this argument couldn't be solved by reprimanding them…

_Not that I'm not tempted, _the archangel gave a soft, silent sigh, lips twitching ever so slightly when Adam simply started snickering internally.

"Here we are," Lucifer finally said, only a few minutes later. Gabriel slowed to a stop, and Michael and Adam stepped up beside him, eyebrows furrowed faintly as the three of them looked ahead. The Devil had paused in front of one door in particular, at the end of a spectacularly long hallway, a grin appearing on his face for a second. "Ah, Lilith… one of the best, I have to admit," he mused, pushing the door open.

Michael immediately moved forward, brushing past Gabriel, who hadn't moved yet, still seeming wary. He made his way to Lucifer's side, eyes widening slightly as he and Adam took in the room. "Wow…" There was very little light in the room, only a dim stream flooding in through the windows. Dust flew up the moment the door opened, and at first, it appeared that the room had been completely untouched; Upon further inspection, however, they could see some things were disturbed, dust wiped off of some spots. Lucifer's mouth twisted slightly, a disapproving frown briefly appearing on his face, but it faltered easily enough.

"Looks like it's already been raided… recently, too," the Devil huffed out, brushing a hand over the door handle. But, he lost interest rather quickly, leaving Michael's side and wandering further into the room, toward something in particular. Michael and Adam just looked around, distracted.

Gabriel had finally entered - reluctantly so - and brushed past Michael and Adam to follow after Lucifer with a frown. After a long moment, they forced their gaze back to the other two, somewhat hesitantly, but they followed after Lucifer and Gabriel all the same, peering around the archangel and watching as Lucifer reached out to grab a box, pulling it forward on a stand. The Devil grinned, looking pleased, as he brushed a hand over the top of it, clearing away the dust that coated it. "Perfect," he mumbled, scanning the symbols.

It was Enochian, Michael recognized with ease. Adam quirked an eyebrow curiously as Michael scanned the words, mouthing them quietly to himself and tilting their head ever so faintly to the side, lost in thought. Lucifer only chuckled, shaking his head. "_Oh-ah-kuh-ree-me ah-tay-loh-kuh-vah-veem no-ruh," _he read, sounding rather amused. "Mm… A song, just for me." He leaned back, rolling his shoulders back. "And people say they didn't adore me…"

"I remember singing in Heaven," Michael sighed softly, eyebrows furrowing together. Both Gabriel and Lucifer looked toward him at that, equal amounts of nostalgia flooding their faces. "The four of us - do you remember?" He glanced between his brothers, then looked back down at the box, scanning the words again. "Lucifer and I, and Gabriel and Raphael."

"Ah… Raphael was always so off-key," Gabriel recalled, rolling his eyes.

"We must have annoyed most of Heaven back then," Lucifer mused, pursing his lips and shaking his head a little bit as he chuckled. "Oh, the complaints…" Michael couldn't help a small laugh despite himself, but it was wistful, longing. Adam was silent, but just a bit of amusement was swirling in his chest now, simply listening to the three.

"Well, this needs to be sung," Lucifer continued suddenly, tilting his head toward the box. "In order to open it and get to the Crook." He paused, turning his head briefly in Michael's direction, and then Gabriel's. "You in?" The Devil asked innocently, an amused smile beginning to form on his face. In response to that, Gabriel only narrowed his eyes, but Michael's lit up.

"Oh, I _gotta_ see this," Adam snickered a little, and the amused look on Lucifer's face only deepened, turning his head back toward them for a moment. Michael only rolled his eyes, but he was smiling now. "Please, _please_, do go on."

Lucifer and Michael looked over at Gabriel, who, after a long moment, finally gave in with a very, very reluctant sigh. "Okay… Okay! Fine," the archangel mumbled, flicking his eyes over the box and narrowing them ever so slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest. "If it helps get us out of here faster, then I'm down for anything, so…" The youngest spared his brothers a glance. "One of you start, I'm not doing that shit."

"I got this," Lucifer responded smugly, turning his attention back to the box. He paused slightly, tilting his head downwards a little, and Michael stepped out from behind Gabriel to stand on his brother's other side, scanning the words again and furrowing his eyebrows faintly. By then, Adam had retreated just enough so that he could still watch, the demon fully prepared to save this memory, tuck it away, and replay it whenever the fuck he wanted to just for kicks. And Michael just smiled, amused, because he knew he'd be more than happy to watch it along with him when he did.

"_Oh-rah-moh-tay-da-ah-boh-da tay-da-ba," _Lucifer had started, his voice lifting a few pitches as he tilted his head back and sang. Michael took a few seconds, just to listen, his gaze focused on his brother. It had been so long, too long - he just wanted to savor the moment. His brother sounded just as… well, as angelic as he always had. It sent Michael right back to the old days.

"_Va-veem-no-ruh lahp tee-ah to-ruht-sool ohl-ah-oh," _Gabriel joined in, somewhat reluctantly, after a moment. Taking in a breath, Michael finally joined in, adding his voice to his brothers'.

"_Toh-luh-ah ay-kuh-ree-me juh-unhz-hay oh-ruh-suh ee-yahd," _The three sang, quiet as could be, but their voices pounded at the walls, rattled the floor beneath them, with the force they were singing. Michael's lips twitched, eyes shut, as he continued on, the three completely synchronized. "_Ah-ee-yahd day-toh-luh-hah-mee…"_

Michael trailed off along with his brothers, somewhat reluctantly, and opened his eyes again. Adam was silent now, no words, hardly any thoughts - his amusement had faded considerably, almost… hell, almost _stunned_, as if that hadn't quite been what he had expecting. The archangel almost retreated just to check on him, but he didn't get the chance to; Adam recovered quick enough, surging up to take control almost immediately.

Gabriel cleared his throat, patting his chest with a fist. "Mm, been a while… Lucifer, I think you were just- slightly off pitch…" He admitted, and an amused look flitted across his face, just for a second, as the Devil turned his head toward the archangel. But a grin was appearing on Lucifer's face, just as easily, before he nudged both of his brothers aside and stepped forward, turning his attention completely to the box.

"Well, at least it worked," Adam spoke up as Lucifer reached in, pulling what they assumed was the Crook out. The Devil merely gave a small hum of acknowledgement, turning it over carefully in his hands and nodding, slightly, as he turned back to the others. "Now what?"

"Now, I believe the three of you should stand back," Lucifer mused, gesturing for them to back away, toward the window. Gabriel did so somewhat reluctantly, not as suspicious, but definitely still holding on to some of that wariness. Michael and Adam retreated much more willingly, both of them undoubtedly trusting, and Lucifer brushed the Crook off slightly as he turned. "Don't know what this thing will do, aside from sucking souls. It's never actually been used before…"

"Wait, what-" Gabriel started to question, but before he had the chance, Lucifer had already put the Crook to his mouth, inhaled, and blew into it as hard as he could.

And, with that, both Hell and Earth began to shake.


	28. Chapter 28

Adam wasn't sure what was worse, the sound, or the souls.

The second that Lucifer blew the Crook, the entire room had begun rattling. Adam was completely still, while Michael was holding onto something behind them to keep them steady as the room rocked and trembled from the force, both of them just staring, wide-eyed, as they watched. Gabriel was less surprised, and more worried - but he stayed back, watching as the souls streaked in, each one, whizzing through the air and launching straight into the Crook, disappearing at once. And they continued on, coming and coming, one after the other. There must have been thousands - hell, hundreds of thousands, but Adam was already losing count.

Michael widened their eyes slightly, head turning as they both tried to track every single one that came through the door. There were too many to even register, appearing and disappearing in bright flashes of light, in the blink of an eye, too quick for them to get a good glimpse. Gabriel stood tense beside them, eyes narrowed now, never once moving his gaze from Lucifer. The Devil didn't pause, not for a second. He just continued, head tilted back, blowing into the horn for all that he was worth. The louder it became, the more souls streamed in.

Unconsciously, they wrapped their arms around themselves. Adam was practically frozen in place, the mere sight being enough to still him; Even when they were being attacked, he had never seen quite a sight like this. Not so many, and not so… _fast_. The demon inhaled sharply, holding the breath. This time, it didn't come back out, not for a while. Not that it needed to.

Michael's eyes shifted to the side for a second, toward Gabriel, but Adam redirected their gaze forward again at once. He didn't want to take his eyes off of the souls - it was almost mesmerizing, in a way, the way they all dove downwards, disappearing straight into the Crook. For a moment, he wondered how it could hold them all; So many souls had gone in, already, so many had disappeared into it, sucked inside - and more were coming, unrestrained. The demon's eyes flickered, eyebrows furrowing, fingers digging into his shirt as he watched.

It took a while, but finally, _finally_, the number decreased. Fewer souls came through the door, but it was just as fast. Adam drew their shoulders back a little bit, and Michael slid a step back as the last few souls streaked through, seeming to hesitate - but, evidently, they had no choice. They were sucked in just like the others, and the second the last one had disappeared inside, Lucifer finally stopped. The rumbling stopped at once, as the Devil lowered the Crook from his mouth, looking down at it for a long moment before slowly turning back to the others.

"There," the Devil murmured, a strange expression on his face now. He held up the Crook slightly, and Adam narrowed his eyes, just staring. It seemed to be twitching, glowing faintly, as if the souls were trying to find a way out, but they were held tightly, trapped. "It's done. Earth is saved." Lucifer paused, turning his head slightly over his shoulder. "You all should go, now," he added. "We're finished here."

Adam was about to agree, but both he and Michael paused, quickly realizing something rather off about those words. Gabriel was the first to realize it, however, and the archangel had taken several steps forward before either the archangel or the demon could stop him, approaching the Devil with a look of disbelief and suspicion written across his face. "Oh, and what about you, huh?" He demanded, nodding toward the Crook. "What are you going to do with that now?"

"I don't have the time to explain anything to you, Gabriel," Lucifer snapped back, his sarcastic, snarky demeanor giving way to something a little bit more serious, a little colder. It was enough, at least, to make Gabriel reel back on his feet. But Adam crossed forward, pushing past the archangel and sparing a glance back down at the Crook before their eyes flicked back up to Lucifer's face, staring at him intensely. Michael was even more confused than anything; No suspicion, no betrayal, just complete, utter confusion.

"Luci, what are you doing?" The archangel asked carefully, while Adam narrowed their eyes faintly, frowning. "You're not coming back with us?" At this, Lucifer's head turned toward them slightly, the cold expression cracking, just for a second; But then it was masked again, furrowed eyebrows smoothing out and his frown fading into a neutral, thin line as he nodded toward them.

"We won this battle, brother, but the war isn't over. I can't explain here, but you'll understand," the Devil insisted, his head twitching briefly in Gabriel's direction as he added, "you all will."

Gabriel was silent, but the tension seemed to fade after a moment. He looked torn, a part of him clearly wanting to believe his brother, but the rest of him not quite allowing him to do so. And, so, he was just completely silent, never moving his gaze from the Devil. Finally, sighing, Lucifer turned his head back toward Adam and Michael, arching an eyebrow slightly. "Stay with the Winchesters. I know you despise them, Adam, but it'll make things much easier on me. You'll need to protect each other - we need them, for what's coming, like it or not."

Adam just furrowed his eyebrows, not quite understanding. But, whereas he didn't, Michael seemed to. The archangel hesitated, lifting one hand slightly, only to drop it back to their side almost immediately, just staring at his brother. Lucifer's expression relaxed again at the lack of disagreement, not quite needing a confirmation to know that, if nothing else, Michael would be able to convince Adam to stay with Sam and Dean, if only for a little while. And he would, the demon knew that well enough. The Devil looked down, tucking the Crook away in his jacket.

"I'll be back," Lucifer promised, lifting his head slightly, as if to look back up at them. Adam narrowed his eyes slightly. "There's just some things I need to do now. People to find." He arched an eyebrow toward Gabriel. "I'd offer you a chance to join me, but I don't think you'd trust me enough to come along. You'd probably be more useful here, anyway…" He muttered, almost to himself, then shook his head. "I'm wasting time, anyway. Go," he insisted, turning his head back toward Adam and Michael.

Michael hesitated; Finally, it was Adam who drew them back a few steps, nodding.

"Whatever you're doing, Luce," the demon started to warn, eyes sharpening slightly toward the Devil. "Be fuckin' careful, got it?" Lucifer replied with nothing more than a laugh, stepping back a bit, himself. Gabriel only grunted, after a moment, but, finally, he backed off. It wasn't quite an agreement, or any kind of approval, but he wasn't going to stop his brother - Adam knew that was enough of a display of trust. As for him and Michael… well, they already trusted Lucifer. If nothing else, Adam trusted the Devil's word, and the archangel was always willing to give his brother a chance whenever the opportunity arose.

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll be fine," Lucifer responded dismissively, "and, uh, remember - this, just between us. Tell Sam and Dean whatever you have to, but they can't know I've been here." Gabriel frowned at that, visibly, but he was silent. Michael only nodded, seemingly having trouble being able to even process the idea of speaking, and Lucifer gave a dry smile.

"Lucifer," Gabriel spoke up suddenly, and the Devil turned toward his brother at once, as did Adam and Michael, eyebrows raising slightly. "I swear- I _swear _if this is your way of double-crossing us, if anything happens, I will _know_ it's you," he warned, glaring at the Devil. Lucifer was silent for once, no snarky replies or sarcastic quips, but after a few seconds, Gabriel seemed to soften, ever so slightly. "But I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt here. Only because I don't think I've ever seen you so serious about anything in my life."

"Believe me when I say, Gabriel, this is important for everyone involved," Lucifer responded simply, then waved a hand, as if to shoo them all away. "Would you stop stalling the moment, then? Get back to your weird little lives now. I'll be back when we're ready."

There it was, that _we _again. It was slightly frustrating, not being able to figure it out, but Adam didn't dwell on it for too much; He didn't have the time. Michael managed to get a few last words in, however, a mixture of worried and guilty as he stepped forward. The words were rushed, but Adam understood; He had been given the chance to say it before, but he'd hesitated. And, so, he was saying at now, for the fear, the possibility that this might be the last time he saw his brother, at least for quite some time. "Lucifer, I'm sorry."

Lucifer didn't miss a beat with his response, his tone unchanging, his expression still completely, eerily relaxed. "I know."

And, with that, he was gone, taking the Crook along with him. Adam jerked back a little, faintly startled by the rather sudden disappearance; Gabriel let out a quiet, breathless curse, and Michael had long fallen silent. He didn't seem upset, or anything of the sort - the guilt faded after a moment, but the concern lingered, even then. That wouldn't go away until he saw his brother again, Adam knew Michael well enough to know that. But even then, somehow, he almost seemed content, in a way - hopeful, even.

"He'll be back," the archangel mumbled, quiet but confident. "I trust him."

Adam hummed quietly in agreement, still sort of speechless by everything that had just happened that day. Gabriel simply exhaled slowly through his teeth, not seeming to disagree nor particularly agree with his brother. "I wish I did," he muttered, turning around to face Adam and Michael again. "You ready to get the hell out of Hell?" He asked simply, eyebrows raising.

"Definitely," Michael sighed a little, and Gabriel reached out, clapping a hand down over their shoulder. Adam had to bite back an instinctive growl at the contact, stifling his own rage for once - something that the archangel actually smiled at a little bit, seeming proud for a second - as he turned their head away from the archangel and screwed his eyes shut, already knowing what was coming and so, _so _not wanting to have to experience it again. It was a little better when he knew what to prepare himself for, but it was still dizzying and disorienting when the ground moved from under him, and then reappeared; And then he opened their eyes, and they were standing in the middle of the graveyard, in front of the rift, which had just finished closing.

Adam sighed, deeply, in relief, glad that he didn't feel nauseous that time. He turned slightly when someone moved from beside him; Dean was approaching now, watching as the ground filled back up, the Earth seemingly mending itself right then and there, until there was nothing. No tear, the main door to Hell had been shut, and that was that - the souls were gone.

It was over. Well, according to Lucifer, this part of it was, anyway.

Seriously, when had he gotten dragged into all of this?

"Where's Belphegor?" Castiel demanded as he stepped up on Adam and Michael's other side - the archangel jumped a little, but relaxed quickly, and the demon bared his teeth and snarled at Castiel just for scaring his body-buddy. Castiel hardly seemed fazed, giving him an irritated yet bewildered look, before turning his inquiring gaze onto Gabriel, as he seemed to realize he wasn't getting any information from Adam after that, and Michael was still hesitating over what, exactly, to tell them about Lucifer.

"Taking his job back, I guess. Wrangling the souls back up where they belong," Gabriel replied, all-too casually, without even missing a beat - it was as if it had been rehearsed, even though it wasn't. Adam was both impressed and disgusted at how easily _lying _came to the archangel, even if it was all for Lucifer's sake. "The good news is-" The archangel interrupted when Castiel opened his mouth, looking suddenly uneasy, "-hey, look, apocalypse over. Again. Boy, you Winchesters- always saving the world. But, with that, I'm back to the porn stars, so. Adios."

"Thanks for the help, Gabriel." They all turned at the sound of Sam's voice, as the hunter left the crypt, Rowena and Crowley following him side by side with identical smug expressions on their faces. Gabriel just gave a slight hum and a peace sign in reply to Sam, his gaze lingering on Rowena for a good few seconds before he looked away again. "Keep in touch."

"Yep, sure, I'll send postcards."

Adam closed his eyes for a moment. He wasn't tired, but he was… well, a little worn. It had been a rather eventful day, compared, at least, to everything that had been going on recently. _You can rest, if you want, _Michael offered, albeit hesitantly. Adam merely shook his head in response, opening his eyes again - and, in doing so, they ended up catching Gabriel's gaze, just before the archangel had spread his wings out and vanished with nothing but a _whoosh_ and a gust of wind, and then he was gone. Adam quirked an eyebrow, but stayed silent.

"Where's Bel?" Sam questioned, making his way up beside Dean. Crowley stepped forward to listen, as well, while the hunter explained what Gabriel had told them; Adam and Michael just turned away, eyes trailing toward Castiel for a moment as the angel stared down at where the tear in the ground had been, as if he was expecting it to open up - hell, as if he was longing for it to open up and swallow him whole. Michael frowned a little at the thought, but Adam was much too worn out to care… And besides that, he wasn't all too fond of Castiel anyway, so…

"Alright, guess now's a good time to let everyone know they can go back home," Sam sighed after a while, clasping his hands together. "We did it, guys."

Silence followed for a good five, eight seconds. Adam was the one who broke it.

"... Hallelujah," the demon mumbled, raising one hand to rub the back of their neck while Michael stretched the other arm over their head, both of them fighting back a yawn as they closed their eyes again, shoulders dropping. "I need a shower…"


	29. Chapter 29

_A/N: __Wow! 100 reviews! I gotta admit, I'm kinda shocked o.o Wasn't really expecting so many people to end up liking this - but, thank you! I appreciate all your comments, and I'm so, so, **so **glad you've been enjoying the story! I hope you love my boys as much as I do, lol. Still got a lot in store for them - as Lucifer said, it's far from over - so stay tuned! Thank you all for reading! :)_

* * *

Michael leaned forward, arms crossed over his knees, watching silently as the humans packed up to leave. Most of them had already gone, but there were still some lingering about. Sam and Dean were still there, as well, loading up their own car and getting ready for the journey back to wherever they were staying. The archangel sighed and tilted their head back a little, looking up at the sky for a good few seconds. His thoughts strayed back to Lucifer, inevitably, and he frowned quite a bit when they did. He didn't distrust his brother - or, at least, he was trying not to - but even he had to wonder, and worry, about what was going on with him.

Adam was silent, but he seemed to agree - at least, on the wonder part. He wasn't particularly worried, Michael could tell, but he was… confused, and both of them were itching to know what was going on, what Lucifer was _planning _this time. It didn't seem to be anything bad - hell, he'd helped the Winchesters stop the apocalypse, and for a while there, he'd even seemed to act somewhat civil toward them for a while, too. Actually working _with _them. Michael couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his brother work with someone like that. Willingly. Calmly.

"-perhaps you could come with me, Fergus." Michael twitched and raised his head slightly, just for a second, turning to watch as Rowena and Crowley exited the school. He shifted slightly on the stairs to allow them to pass, but they paused just outside the door to talk. "I would like to have the chance to… make things right with you," the witch continued, inhaling deeply as she looked up at her son. "If you would allow me to do so."

"Mm." Crowley narrowed his eyes faintly, obviously distrustful - and yet, he agreed, even then, with all his wariness. The demon raised his head, giving a barely-noticeable, yet firm nod, accompanied by a shrug. "Why not? Could be fun," he replied distractedly, "not as if I plan on heading back to Hell anytime soon, for sure." Rowena only smiled, a spark of relief entering her gaze as she turned away and continued walking. After a moment, Crowley followed.

Despite himself, Michael smiled a little bit, looking back down. He didn't know the context behind it, behind their relationship - but it looked like someone else might be getting somewhat of a happy ending. Reconciliation… there was nothing quite like it.

_You're so fucking cheesy, dude, _Adam complained, albeit somewhat good-naturedly; A slight smile tugged at the archangel's lips, but it faltered instantly, amusement shifting into confusion, when Crowley abruptly stopped beside them. They looked up at once, eyes narrowing on Adam's side and eyebrows furrowing from Michael's, as the other demon paused, spared a glance after Rowena, and smiled sharply.

"You go on, Mother, I'll catch up," he called after her, and Rowena hummed, smiled, and waved a quick goodbye to Michael and Adam - the former of which raised a hand to wave back in response, while Adam resisted the urge to roll their eyes - as Crowley hummed and stepped down a few more steps, turning to face them once he was at eye-level.

"... Hello," Michael spoke up, slow and uncertain.

"The fuck d'you want?" Adam demanded, cold and uncaring. In response, Crowley quirked an eyebrow, but he didn't seem particularly put-off by the abrupt mood-change, just somewhat amused. Michael sighed a little and leaned back, taking a moment to reign Adam in, and ignoring the soft snort from the demon. _What? Lucifer hates the guy. I don't trust him._

_I love my brother, but that doesn't mean very much, _Michael protested right back, _if you hated everyone Lucifer hated, then you'd hate everyone._

_I __**do **__hate everyone. And, __**no**__, you don't count._

Michael blinked, falling silent. Despite himself, though, his lips twitched slightly at what that implied - but, quickly enough, he shook his head and forced his attention back to Crowley, once he and Adam had gotten settled. Adam gave in, retreating just enough to let him talk to the other demon, but he stayed in the front to listen to the interaction. "Sorry," the archangel mumbled awkwardly, taking in a breath and straightening up.

"Mhm," Crowley hummed and spared a glance over his shoulder, toward Sam and Dean. Confident nobody was paying attention, the demon turned back to the other two. "So, then. Where did Lucifer _really _go, hm?"

Ready to respond, Michael's mouth went dry before he could even form the words, eyes going wide, pupils shrinking, their entire body locking up with the mixture of alarm and horror.

"What the fuck…" Adam mumbled, surging up again to take control once more, since Michael had proved too frozen, too stunned, to say anything for a good few seconds. "What the _fuck?" _The demon repeated, abruptly pushing them to stand; Michael snapped back to his senses rather quickly, ready to pull Adam in again if needed, but he didn't move to attack, just stared. "How the hell did you- he didn't _tell _you…" Adam trailed off, eyes narrowing.

"Please," Crowley scoffed a little, actually looking mildly offended for a second. "He was one of my greatest enemies. We're bonded, you know. A relationship, formed purely out of hatred - the strongest emotion you can share with a person." The demon's lips twitched, curling upwards into a dry, sarcastic looking smile as he winked at them. "But it also helps that I have ears, and the ability to eavesdrop every so often when the need arises."

Adam was growing more and more pissed off with each passing second, but Michael had another issue. The archangel tilted his head, a frown settling across his face, as his gaze slowly flicked up, past Crowley, coming to rest on Sam and Dean for a moment. After a moment, realizing what the archangel was thinking, he felt Adam's own fury fizzle out, giving way to the same amount of confusion that Michael was currently feeling.

"Wait a minute," they mumbled, looking back at Crowley. "If you knew this whole time, then- what… why not say anything?" Michael narrowed his eyes, this time, while Adam squinted at the other demon. In response, Crowley tipped his head to the side, quirking an eyebrow.

"I'm an opportunist, darling," he told them blankly, looking amused. "And, besides that, I'm sworn to secrecy. Your brother can be quite convincing." Crowley rolled his shoulders back a little bit, turning slightly to glance back at Sam and Dean. "Regardless, it all worked out in the end. The boys are alright, world's saved, blah, blah, blah, we've sung this song a thousand times. Figured we could use the extra hands." He shrugged at Michael and Adam. "And figure out the rest in due time, once, you know, the world wasn't ending."

Michael didn't know whether to be relieved or even more confused, and so he settled on a mixture of both. Adam, on the other hand, while he wasn't as furious, he did seem slightly irritated for some reason. "You're saying you trust Lucifer?" The demon demanded. "Your so-called greatest enemy?"

"Oh, most _certainly _not," Crowley replied with a roll of his eyes. "I don't _trust _anybody. But there's a difference between trusting people and taking advantage of a situation. Lucifer knew what he was doing here, and how, exactly, it would all end. He was just waiting for… something. The chance, I suppose, to execute his plan." Michael blinked, eyebrows furrowing, and Crowley sighed. "He knew what to do all along, dumbass. The Crook, the souls- all of it. He was waiting."

"Waiting…" Adam trailed off, eyes narrowing.

"For _what?" _Michael continued, feeling slightly unsettled now. Not particularly toward Lucifer, or even toward Crowley, but just… unsettled in general.

"Who knows? He's the Devil, he's always got his own agenda," Crowley mused with a shrug, stepping backwards down the stairs now. "An opportunist, as I am. Now, Earth is saved, and he's off doing… well, I don't think you quite answered my earlier question. Where did he go?"

"We don't know," Michael replied quietly, while Adam glared suspiciously at the other demon, still not quite trusting. "But he did say he'd be back. That this isn't over." The archangel paused, wanting to say more, but he simply shut his mouth. Both he and the demon seemed to agree that they shouldn't tell Crowley too much - not that they knew much to tell - just in case. "I don't… I don't think we have anything to worry about," the archangel added, however, frowning. "I trust my brother."

"You're incredibly naive," Crowley responded, and Adam growled, just a little bit, in the archangel's defense - which actually brought a slight smile to Michael's face. Crowley didn't seem fazed, only quirking an eyebrow in response before he shrugged, innocently, and turned away with a sigh. "Well, you're no use information-wise, so I suppose this is where we part." He paused, glancing back for a second, and smirked. "I'll be in touch."

"Yeah, don't force yourself," Adam replied sarcastically, and Michael offered an apologetic grin, but he didn't say anything to counter that, knowing it was no use. Crowley didn't care, anyway, only offering an amused smile before he headed off. Both the archangel and the demon relaxed, at once, as he and Rowena called a quick "goodbye, boys" toward Sam and Dean, and left. Michael sighed a little and closed their eyes, just for a moment, more exhausted by the second.

For a while, they both just stood there. Michael kept them steady, as Adam was more or less about to collapse at any given second. The demon raised their hands a little, rubbing at their eyes, and after a moment, Michael slowly sat them both back down and leaned forward, burrowing their head into their arms with a soft, tired sigh. Neither of them were even supposed to _get _tired, and yet the both of them were more exhausted than ever - both of them just wanted to curl up and sleep until the next end of the world came… Adam huffed out a short, silent laugh at the thought. And then, as if that had set something off, Michael started laughing, too.

"Well…" Michael huffed out a soft sigh and ran their fingers through their hair slightly, while Adam buried their face deeper into their arms, giving a soft, silent sigh. "It's over," the archangel muffled after a moment - Adam hummed - as he lifted their head again, much to the demon's chagrin. "... Now what?"

"Now…" Adam trailed off for a moment, eyebrows furrowing, and lifted their gaze toward Sam and Dean for a moment. The hunters were smiling, faintly, now, as Dean reached up and shut the trunk of the car. Michael watched, blinking slightly, and Adam tilted their head ever so slightly to the side. A bit of uncertainty had begun to brew up in the demon's chest, and Michael was about to say something - but Adam beat him to it. "Lucifer said we should stay with Sam and Dean," the demon sighed, somewhat reluctantly.

"If you're not okay with it, Adam, then we don't have to," Michael said firmly, straightening up a little bit and stretching their arms above their head with a sigh. "I don't want you to do anything that'll make you uncomfortable, or upset…" The archangel paused, glancing over at Sam and Dean as he continued, "I know what Lucifer said, but what you want- that's more important."

Adam didn't respond for a while, eyes lingering on his brothers, and Michael fell silent to let him think. Honestly, he was more surprised by the hesitance - the demon wouldn't usually have to think about something like this, Michael knew, before, he wouldn't have hesitated to take the chance to walk away. But he was hesitating now, and as shocked as the archangel was, he didn't say a word. It was important decision - more so for Adam than anyone.

"... I'm not ready to forgive them," the demon finally mumbled, and Michael nodded, ready to tell him that he understood, that he wasn't pushing anything, that they could leave now - until Adam continued on, a little quieter, "but I'm willing to try."

Michael blinked, gaze flickering up slightly. A small smile appeared on their face, slowly turning into a very slight grin as the archangel glanced back toward Sam and Dean, who had apparently reached the end of their conversation, because Dean stepped back, nodding toward his brother, then turned and headed off in the direction of the other hunters.

"I'm proud of you, y'know," the archangel mumbled, and Adam didn't reply - but the rush of warmth that flooded their chest in response was enough. Michael smiled, just a little, but he snapped back to attention when Sam suddenly turned, the hunter's eyes flickering around briefly before abruptly coming to rest on the two of them; After a long, long pause, and just a little bit more hesitation, Adam raised a hand, waving him over himself.

"Hey," the hunter greeted as he approached them, heading up the stairs to sit down beside them. He kept a good distance, though that didn't stop Adam from leaning away, if only slightly, despite himself. Michael was just silent, choosing instead to watch the two and listen, not wanting to interfere unless he had to - and yet, somehow, he doubted he would. "We're about to head out. The others are gonna take the rest of them-" He nodded toward the last of the humans, who had more or less finished packing up and were getting in the cars to leave, waving quick goodbyes to Dean and a few other hunters, "-back to the t-"

"Don't care," Adam interrupted simply, and Sam blinked, but fell silent as the demon continued, "seriously, don't care about them, couldn't really care _less_, to be completely honest-"

"Buddy…" Michael interrupted, a mixture of amused and exasperated. Sam paused, but he caught on a little bit quicker, and a faint smile appeared on the hunter's face despite himself, as he seemed to finally be understanding the differences between the two when they spoke, seemed to finally be able to pick apart which one was talking now.

"Okay, okay…" Adam sighed a little, almost irritated, but not quite - he was probably too exhausted, right then, to properly _be _irritated, Michael realized with a mixture of amusement and sympathy, because he was just as tired. "Listen, Michael and I were wondering…" The demon trailed off, seemingly now having trouble figuring out how to word what he wanted to say. Sam just furrowed his eyebrows, but he was silent now, waiting patiently for Adam to continue while he hesitated, mulling over his own thoughts with a frown.

Michael was just as patient, settling down easily enough and tilting their head faintly to the side while they waited for Adam to figure out how to phrase his request. Finally, the demon cleared their throat and looked up again, a little more confident, despite the internal hesitance.

"You said to let you know if there was anything you can do to try and make up for… everything," Adam started, and Sam's expression seemed to light up - if only slightly, just for a second - but he was silent, only nodding, and Adam continued a little slower, "well… Mike and I don't exactly have anywhere to _be_, nor anywhere to go, so we thought…" He trailed off, frustratedly, unable to complete his request - but Sam seemed to already know where he was headed.

"Right. Yes. Of course- done," the hunter replied, relief tainting his words, and Michael couldn't resist smiling. Adam wiped it away quickly, grumbling internally, put off and unnerved by the chick flick moment that the conversation had turned into, but that only made the archangel want to laugh. "You're- both of you, you're welcome in the bunker whenever." Sam paused, sparing a glance toward the car, and then Dean. "Just, uh, give us a moment to finish up here and you can ride back along with us."

"Sounds good," Michael murmured, since Adam was now adamant not to say anything else, the demon already embarrassed and annoyed at himself at his own decision - but, it was too late to turn back now. Sam only smiled back, a mixture of awkward yet relieved, as he stood up again and brushed himself off. He hesitated, as if wanting to say more, but, luckily - because Adam was seriously about to snap again at any given second, Michael could already feel the snarky comments in his head, ready to break free to counter what the hell he had just done - Sam refrained, giving them nothing more than a nod before he turned and headed off again.

"_Oh,_ that was so fucking painful," Adam groaned once he had gone, burying their face into their arms again. Despite himself, Michael actually laughed a little. He was honestly extremely proud of the demon - he had, somehow, made it through a mostly civil conversation with one of his brothers. Now, that… _that _was definitely something. "Shut up, Michael…"

"You gotta stop saying that when I'm not even _speaking_," Michael chuckled back in response, raising their head, only to rest their chin on their arms again with a smile.

"... shut up," Adam mumbled, not seeming to know what else to say, too tired to really think of a good comeback. Michael just shook his head a little bit and fell silent, biting back a yawn and lifting a hand to rub at their eyes - a habit he had unconsciously picked up from Adam. The demon turned their head to the side slightly, resting their head in their arms with a tired sigh.

And they sat there until it was time to leave; Until Sam and Dean called them from the car. Dean looked reluctant, wary, as he flicked his gaze over them - but the younger Winchester seemed content, excited, almost. Michael fought back another yawn, rubbing their eyes again, and pushed them to stand. Adam had retreated, for the most part, but he was still awake, still watching - just too exhausted to take control. Regardless, Michael paused slightly before he finally headed down the stairs to wander over to the Winchesters. "You ready?"

_As I'll ever be, _Adam muttered back, sounding just as tired as the both of them felt. Michael hummed back softly in response, rubbing their eyes one last time and sparing a glance back at the school, before turning back and continuing on his way to where the Winchesters were waiting, one of the back doors opened and the boys already settled in the car, ready to leave.

The archangel paused, eyes flicking up, toward the sky, just for a second, before he turned and carefully got in the car, shutting the door and sinking back against the seat at once. The hunters didn't say a word; Sam glanced at them in the mirror, and Dean simply turned the car on, silent.

Both Michael and Adam were asleep before they were even halfway down the road, lulled by the rumbling purr of the engine and the soft, rocky movement of the car.


	30. Chapter 30

Adam woke up before Michael did. The demon didn't move at first, beyond blinking his eyes open and turning to look out the window. It took him a good few seconds to realize where he was, remember that he was with the Winchesters - and it took him everything he had not to bite back a groan. Truthfully enough, Lucifer or not, Adam would have made the same decision. Didn't mean he wasn't kicking himself over it. It was a moment of weakness, of longing - watching everybody else reconcile, Michael with his brothers, Crowley with his mother, it had made him want it, somewhat. It had made him ache for it, at least.

But even then - was he _capable _of that? Was he capable of forgiveness? Sure, he could try. And he would try, he would try as much as he could _possibly_ try, but he was still so _angry_. So _hurt_. He could see the guilt on their faces - Sam's, at least - he could hear the regret in his voice. But it didn't change the pained fury that had been swirling inside of him for the past ten years. It didn't change the fact that he wanted to turn away from them or rip their throats out, one or the other, constantly - no in between. Even now… even as much as he wanted to try…

Adam twisted his jaw a little bit and flicked his gaze back out the window, his head leaned against it and his legs curled up onto the seat beside him. It was a comfortable position, but he felt stiff all the same; He'd have to move soon, but he didn't want to alert Sam and Dean to the fact that he was awake, and risk having to interact with them so soon. Any word could change his mind - hell, a _look _could change his mind - or, at least, that's what he was afraid of.

Afraid of… being angry.

Of course, he knew why. He had been fine for a while, until he'd realized that, not only did it hurt him, but the people around him. More importantly, it had hurt Michael. The moment Adam let his anger get the better of him, the moment his grudge toward Sam and Dean had gotten in the way of his relationship with the archangel, that was the moment Adam had realized just how damaging it really was. And he _wanted_, so badly, to be able to fix that. For so many reasons; For Michael, for _himself_. And he was terrified, shockingly so, that he wouldn't be able to.

The demon ran his tongue over his lips, silent, and turned his head ever so slightly to look ahead. They must have stopped somewhere, because Sam and Dean had switched; The younger of the two was driving now, with Dean curled up in the passenger's seat - and asleep, judging by the sound of his snores. Sam was silent, focused on the road. Adam let his gaze flicker over his older brother's face in the mirror for a moment, eyebrows furrowing, before he looked back out the window again. He didn't need them as much as he needed Michael. Maybe he could forgive and forget. Maybe he could let go, and leave. Maybe reconciliation wasn't _needed_, per se, but… _but_, a part of Adam still _longed _for it.

Adam sighed, and Sam's gaze flickered up at once. The demon looked over as the hunter lifted his head, and bit back a groan the second their eyes met; And, since he had already been caught awake, he decided that now was as good a time as any to sit up completely, moving his legs to the floorboard and sitting up straight, stretching his arms over his head.

"Hey…" Sam started, a little hesitant, and Adam glanced back up at his older brother, quirking an eyebrow slightly before turning to look back out the window again, crossing his arms behind his head with a frown. It hadn't even been that long since he'd had a shower, as far as he could tell - he had had one just before they'd left the school - but, for some reason, he was aching for another one already… The demon frowned, but said nothing. "You two sleep well?"

"Halo's still sleepin'," Adam muttered simply in response, sparing Sam a glance. The realization flitted across the hunter's face, along with a slight twinge of uncertainty, but Adam didn't focus on that too much. Wasn't surprising, anyway. The demon hesitated for a while, mouth twisting into a much deeper frown, almost a scowl, but he had to bite his tongue to force that back. _Slow and steady, _he reminded himself, struggling to force down the anger bubbling up in his chest. _I chose this, I wanted this, I still want this, I can do this. _

"I slept fine," the demon said quietly after a few seconds, tense muscles relaxing slightly in relief as the fury simmered down a bit, his own silent reassurances calming him, if only slightly. It wasn't much compared to what Michael could do, but it was enough. Adam narrowed his eyes out the window for a moment before looking ahead again, leaning forward slightly so he could see out the windshield. "How much longer 'til we get to… wherever?"

"Not long," Sam assured, glancing back at him in the mirror before looking ahead again. "Half an hour, at least. Took a lot longer, because we had to stop for gas, and then Dean wanted tacos." The hunter rolled his eyes a little, then paused. "Speaking of, though, are you hungry, or…?"

"I'm a demon, Sam," Adam told him dryly, leaning his forehead against the back of Dean's seat and sparing his older brother a look, slight irritation sparkling through his eyes, but, despite himself, just a twinge of curiosity had entered his expression. After a moment, though, eyebrows furrowing, the demon looked ahead again. He hesitated, one corner of his mouth pulled taut, while the other just curled downwards as he sighed. "Haven't had tacos in a while, though…"

"Well, I've got two up here," Sam offered, his tone seeming to brighten considerably at the demon's words. Adam, on the other hand, felt absolutely nothing, looking back at his brother's hopeful expression. Then he did feel something - frustration, confusion, and anger, but all directed at himself this time. Why was he even trying, if it wasn't going to- ugh, _no_, no, he was giving up too easily. He had to give it time, right? Time…

The demon took a moment to force down the fury again, having a little less luck, but it was enough for him to continue functioning without spitting curses and trying to rip Sam's throat out, so he would take that as it came. "Yeah, gimme." He sat back, a little too heavily, letting out his breath in a low, irritated huff. Sam reached over, shooting glances toward the road, and grabbed a bag that was sitting between the two front seats, handing it back to him without looking back.

Adam hummed and leaned back, pulling one of the tacos out of the bag and unwrapping it silently. He studied it for a moment, turning it over in his hands curiously; He hadn't seen food in… well, quite some time. Every so often he would visit one of his memories of a restaurant or something, places his mother used to take him, but, of course, as a demon, he didn't really need to eat - so why bother? Regardless, he was still curious, so, after a moment, he took a bite.

The flavors burst to life at once, and the demon went completely still the second the taste exploded on his tongue. It was a little less… well, less _strong _than beer was, but this had somewhat of an edge, a tang that even alcohol didn't possess. For a moment, it almost felt wrong, the feeling of the food in his mouth - every part of him wanted to spit it out, and yet, at the same time, he almost wanted more. So, apparently, he had missed food - and on some level he was completely disgusted by it all the same. He chewed and swallowed, licking his lips.

And then he took another bite. And then another.

Sam actually chuckled a little bit, sparing glances between him and the road as the demon finished off half of the first taco in barely less than ten seconds. "So much for not getting hungry, huh?" The hunter mused, and Adam didn't respond for a moment, in favor of finishing off the rest of the taco and rubbing the crumbs off from around his mouth. "Guess you missed food."

"Yes, _thank _you, Captain Obvious," Adam responded shortly, but his tone lacked the bite he would have usually poured into his words. He licked his lips again, pulling the other taco out of the bag. He certainly didn't _need _to eat, but, yes he had definitely missed food. The taste, at least, as something he had been deprived of for so long, was certainly favorable.

"You're welcome, Lieutenant Sarcasm," Sam replied easily enough, and Adam paused with the taco halfway to his mouth, flicking his gaze back up to the hunter. His brother didn't look back at him, but a small smile had settled across his face as he took a turn; Adam raised his eyebrows slightly for a moment, almost genuinely impressed by that.

The demon studied the hunter for a moment longer before looking back down again, starting on the second taco with a hum. He finished this one off a little slower, savoring the taste a bit longer this time, but he devoured it quick enough either way - quicker than a human would have been able to, at least. He stuffed the wrappers into the bag and crumpled it up when he finished, simply tossing it beside him in the seat and rubbing a hand over his mouth.

For a while, they were both silent - at least until Dean suddenly shifted, head rolling to the side, and let out a very loud snore. Adam blinked over at his oldest half-brother, eyebrows raising ever so slightly. He didn't bother to push down the irritation this time, since, in this case, it was most certainly understandable. Truthfully enough, in an interesting turn of events, he had ended up a lot more angry at Dean than he was at Sam. Probably had something to do with him killing Lucifer and, of course, the way he acted around Michael wasn't exactly unnoticeable.

"Jeez, he's fuckin' loud," the demon muttered under his breath, not expecting the laughter from Sam to follow. Adam quirked an eyebrow, flicking his gaze back to the hunter, as Sam just shook his head a little and grinned.

"Yeah, I know. Always has been," He spoke fondly, however, amusement clear in his tone. Adam just studied him for a moment, falling silent. Back then - after he'd met his brothers, he could tell how close they both were, how much they cared for each other. It wasn't the only thing he had been paying attention to, but it was definitely something he'd noticed - and, especially now, looking back on it, it was hard to miss. Truthfully, he had been somewhat jealous of it, even back then. He was a little surprised to note how those feelings had changed, and abruptly so. He wasn't jealous, despite still feeling angry, and abandoned…

The demon tilted his head, looking back toward Dean for a moment. He was tempted to speak up again, to continue the conversation - but, before he could think about what to say next, he felt Michael beginning to stir. His attention was ripped away at once, his expression brightening and his lips tugging upwards, just for a second, before the expression disappeared, masked just as quickly as it had come. "Morning, asshole."

"Mm…" Michael was still a little groggy, clearly enough. The rest seemed to have helped them both, quite a bit - but the demon was a little miffed at the realization that they were both still just a little bit _tired_, even after that. He couldn't understand it - as much as they slept, they shouldn't be this exhausted all the time, shouldn't be getting this tired for no apparent reason. He hadn't been concerned about it before, but he was starting to worry now. "Adam?" The archangel questioned, quietly, once he could at least somewhat function again.

"Who else?" Adam rolled their eyes a little bit, sparing Sam a glance in the process. The hunter was silent, focused on the road again, no more half-uncertain, half-hopeful glances backwards. The demon raised an eyebrow and glanced away. "How are you still _tired?"_

"I don't know…" Michael mumbled, sounding just as puzzled. Then he paused, looking toward Sam, himself, and abruptly went silent - well, not completely silent. He continued talking, just internally. _Most likely stress. We've had a lot going on recently. I'm sure it'll be alright now that things are calmer… _The archangel fell silent for a moment, running their tongue over their lips, and blinked. _What is… I…_

"Tacos." Adam leaned his head back, not bothering to stop speaking aloud. Sure, it would be confusing for his brother, but it wasn't like a little confusion was going to _kill _the hunter or anything. "Don't worry about it." The demon raised a hand, running it through their hair lightly.

_Salty… _Michael mumbled, licking their lips again. After a moment's pause, the demon dropped their hand and blinked. Oh… oh, that explained his initial disgust. It must take mass amounts of salt to actually be harmful to demons, considering that he definitely _felt _alright, but even a bit of salt in food was enough to cause some mild discomfort. It was bearable, though, anyway.

_Well, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, all the same, _the archangel continued, sparing a glance out the window. He did a double take, watching everything blur past, and after a moment, he leaned forward a little bit so that he could get a better look, eyes going wide. Adam just hummed, reaching out to roll the window down in response; The feeling of the wind on their face seemed to startle Michael for a second, causing him to jerk back-

Which made the demon laugh, in turn-

-before Michael leaned forward again. He flinched from the wind a little, but adjusted to it rather quickly; Adam raised their head slightly, inclining it faintly to the side and letting their eyes drift shut contentedly for a moment. He had always liked riding in cars. At least, the feeling of the wind in his hair and on his face as they rode on. It was something that had always been able to calm him, somewhat soothing; It seemed to have that same effect on Michael and, in turn, the further they relaxed, the more awake the both of them felt. Then again, the wind smacking them in the face could have most certainly been just as much of an effective wake-up call.

They stayed like that for a while, neither of them noticing nor caring about the quiet, affectionate glances that were being thrown their way from the front seat, as Sam continued to drive.

Both of them were a mixture of disappointed and relieved when they finally arrived; Sam slowed the car to a stop outside of a rather large-looking building, but at first glance, that didn't even seem to be what was important; No, the thing that deserved focus was the entrance to what Adam and Michael could only assume was the actual bunker. There was a short staircase leading down into the ground, toward a door. The bricks that surrounded it, rising up out of the ground, were chipped, damaged, but not quite broken - Adam raised an eyebrow, internally noting that the outside, at least, could certainly use a paint job…

The demon opened the door, and Michael pulled them out of the car after Sam had parked, while the hunter turned to wake his brother up. They shut the door behind them, venturing forward a few steps, but for the most part, they remained close enough, waiting for the other two to take the lead inside. After a while, Adam ended up lifting his gaze to the sky, watching the clouds for a few seconds - before Sam stepped up beside them, and the car suddenly started again; Adam and Michael glanced back, watching as Dean, now behind the wheel, drove off.

"Where's _he _going?" Adam questioned, arching an eyebrow as he stared after the car. He turned back to Sam after a moment, though, watching his older brother dig through his pocket, pulling out a key as he headed forward, already walking down the stairs to get to the door.

"Garage," the hunter explained quickly over his shoulder, working on unlocking the door. Adam hummed a little, sparing once last glance backwards as Michael headed forward. "Just so you know, by the way, there's some warding in here - so you might feel a little, uh, weakened. And I'd… probably watch where you step, too. Devil's traps," Sam added, opening the door.

Adam had literally no idea what that meant, but he just grunted. Michael, on the other hand, taking the warnings seriously as always, nodded slowly and carefully in response. "Right."

Sam stepped aside to let them enter first, presumably so he could close and lock the door behind them. Adam didn't say anything, leaning to the side as he passed so to avoid brushing against the hunter, wanting to keep physical contact to a minimum for both his and Michael's sakes, and headed forward. There were more stairs, surprise, surprise - and the demon slowed a little bit despite himself. Now the warning made a little more sense; He could definitely feel… _something _draining the further they went. Not quite energy, he still felt wide awake. More like - well, more like power, for instance. Judging by Michael's frown, it wasn't all too pleasant on his end, anyway. Adam actually kind of hated that - and it worried him, just for a second. Hopefully this 'warding' wasn't going to damage the archangel any further.

"I'll be okay," Michael promised quietly, under his breath, and Adam just gave a low sigh as he paused at the bottom of the staircase, finally taking a good look around. The lights came on slowly, but once the room was completely lit, both the archangel and the demon widened their gazes in surprise. This hadn't quite been what Adam was expecting - it was definitely impressive at first glance. He was particularly taken by the amount of bookshelves in the room, each one filled - hell, there were too many books in the room to even fill the bookshelves, some overflowing onto the floor and the tables. Most of them didn't even have titles, just odd, unintelligible inscriptions on the covers, symbols - but that was all the more interesting.

Hook, line and sinker…

Whatever doubts Adam had fizzled out at once, disappearing, at least for the moment. Michael was equally impressed, less focused on the books and more on the symbols on the walls, the ceilings, the floors, the doorways - but they could both definitely agree that the bunker had made a damn good first impression. Adam could most certainly get used to a place like this, Winchesters or _not…_

"Well," Sam piped up, having reached their side; He stepped down from the last step of the staircase to stand beside them, but they were both far too busy to look toward the hunter now, alternating between looking around the rest of the room, and focusing on the books, all of which were looking even better to Adam by the second. "... Welcome home."

Neither one responded, but this time, Adam did feel something - not rage, not irritation, not pain. Warmth. Not too much, hardly comparable to anything he'd ever felt, before and after his Transformation. But considering that it was toward _Sam_, his _brother _\- yeah, it was _something_.

_I think we're gonna like it here, _Michael said quietly, and Adam, despite it all, had to agree.


	31. Chapter 31

That morning, it was more peaceful than ever. At least, at first.

They were sitting in the main room, at one of the tables. Adam was flipping through a book, and this one, Michael was actually interested in. It wasn't a normal book, exactly - it contained symbols and pictures of various monsters. The archangel was particularly intrigued, and Adam wasn't exactly turning the book away, so he seemed to enjoy it just as much. For a moment, a smile tugged at Michael's lips, leaning their head against one hand and turning a page, himself. The demon was quiet, but content as could be. Neither of them were sure of how long they had been sitting there, and neither of them had grown tired, so time wasn't an issue, anyway.

Michael only looked up - and Adam grunted in disapproval - when Sam entered the room. The hunter was just stumbling through, looking exhausted, but he stopped short when he saw them sitting there. Adam quirked an eyebrow, while Michael raised a hand to wave slightly at the hunter, offering a hesitant smile in greeting, which Adam forced back at once. "... morning," Sam said slowly, shuffling past them. "Were you two up all night?"

"Guess so," Michael mumbled, sitting back with a frown. His theory of their exhaustion being tied to their stress must be right, considering how relaxed they were, and awake as ever. The archangel wasn't exactly sure of how to avoid getting _stressed_, but he was definitely going to try now, for the both of them, because the whole "getting tired" thing was a little irritating. Adam turned their attention back to the book, and Michael sighed a little, more amused than anything, as they settled down again, leaning their head against their hand once more.

"You guys want coffee?"

"No," Adam called back, slight irritation lacing his voice now, only because Sam was interrupting his reading time. Michael shook their head a little, forcing back a smile.

"Thank you," the archangel added politely, pointedly, bringing a snort from the demon.

And, so, it was silent again, peaceful once more. Adam relaxed again, and Michael, who had already been relaxed, simply turned another page and lowered their arm back to the table, rolling their shoulders back a little and stretching slightly as they continued to read. They were definitely a little stiff, but neither of them cared enough to move at that moment. They only looked back up again when Dean shuffled in, stumbling a little over his feet and rubbing at his eyes - the way Adam did, Michael noted, much to the demon's horror - as he headed in the direction of the kitchen - only to stop, blink, and turn back to look at Adam and Michael.

The hunter stared at them for a long time, seemingly having forgotten that they were even _there _in the first place. Michael raised a hand to wave, as he had with Sam, but he was a little hesitant to do so. He knew that Dean wasn't particularly… comfortable around them. And, at this point, he didn't even know if it was him or Adam that the hunter didn't like. He didn't see any reason as to why Dean would hate his brother, despite the demon's initial hostility, so…

Well, Michael _was _going to crush the hunter's skull with his bare hands after he'd learned that Dean had killed Lucifer. And he was still a little miffed about that, too - of course, Lucifer was _alive _now, but that didn't erase the fact that Dean had killed him… still, he was Adam's brother, so Michael was going to look past that for the demon.

"Morning," Adam offered dryly, irritation at its peak.

"Uh huh." Dean just continued to stare, eyes narrowing faintly, then took a step back, turned away, and headed off again. Michael frowned slightly, but Adam, unfazed and uncaring, shifted his attention back to the book with ease and flipped another page with a hum, going back to reading. Michael simply retreated a little bit, not wanting to distract the demon, but he was genuinely bewildered by the hunter's actions. Whatever problems Dean might have against _him_, even Sam was trying a little harder, at least for Adam's sake. Michael didn't understand.

"He's a little rough around the edges, pal," Adam muttered, resting their chin on their fist and quirking an eyebrow at the book, scanning one of the pages curiously. "Was when I first met him, hasn't changed a bit. Doesn't matter, though - don't like him any more than he likes us."

"Still…" Michael protested, sighing. How was Adam supposed to reconcile with his brothers if one of them was just… _avoiding _them? Michael honestly felt like he was getting in the way, in between Adam and his brothers - and that brought up a spark of irritation from Adam's end, meant as a reassurance that that _definitely _was not the case.

_If it comes down to you or them, you know who I'd choose._

Michael wasn't any less concerned. _That's what I'm worried about. _

Adam sighed a little and lifted their gaze from the book, seemingly putting his reading aside for the time being to focus on consoling the archangel - and, so, Michael was about to insist that he didn't need comforting, he was just worried - but they both paused, head turning, when they heard the voices in the kitchen rise. It was hard to make out when they weren't paying attention, but Adam tilted his head toward the doorway, eyes narrowing, the voices becoming a little clearer once he actually started listening. Michael was a little less content with eavesdropping, but he didn't say anything, didn't protest.

"What do you want me to _say_, Sam?" That was Dean, sharp and stony as ever. "You invited them here. _You_. Now, look, I'm sorry, I am! But if you expect me-"

"What I _expect _is for you to show a little more compassion," Sam hissed back, actually making more of an effort to keep his voice down than Dean was, but his words were easy to make out all the same. Adam leaned them back in the chair a bit, eyebrows raising, and Michael frowned. "That is our _brother_, in there, Dean, _our brother_."

"Yeah, I _know _that."

"I swear to God…" Sam stopped, abruptly, and for a while the voices in the kitchen quieted. Michael fell silent, hesitating a little - there was nothing from Adam for a moment, no pain or disappointment. If anything, he just seemed irritated, though that frustration seemed to be directed… well, it seemed to be directed toward himself. Michael frowned, flicking their gaze away from the kitchen and looking down at the book, though neither of them were reading now.

… _you okay? _Michael finally asked, and Adam hummed, a quiet, thoughtful confirmation. He did _seem _okay, aside from the frustration boiling in his chest. He wasn't angry, he wasn't hurt, nothing really in between. Just… annoyed.

"You know what," Sam's voice rose from the kitchen again, snapping both the archangel and the demon back to attention at once - though Adam seemed a little less intent on listening now, too lost in his own thoughts, Michael was the one who angled their head toward the kitchen. "This is Jack. All over again." Dean must have replied, too low for them to hear now, because Sam added, "you know damn well what I _mean_. What I don't understand is- this isn't the son of the _Devil_, Dean, this is our _family _we're talking about here, so why-"

"_Adam _isn't the problem!"

"Then _what_-" Another abrupt pause, but this one carried an air of understanding, rather than frustration. The tension from the other room seemed to dissolve, and Sam's anger had fizzled out just as quickly along with it as the hunter spoke next, his voice a little quieter. "Oh. _Dean…_"

Michael didn't know whether to be relieved or even more upset - on one hand, at least he knew that Dean didn't really have an issue with Adam, but on the other, the fact that the hunter didn't like him wasn't helping things at all, either. Truthfully enough, as confusing at it had been at first, the archangel couldn't really say that he _blamed _Dean for hating him - and it wasn't like the hunter was his favorite person in the world either - but with the chance that this could cause problems for Adam, the chance that this could tear them apart before they'd even managed to _begin _reconciling with one another… no, that didn't settle well with him.

Adam, on the other hand, had now directed his irritation toward his oldest half-brother, likely a product of the confirmation that Dean most definitely _did _have a problem with Michael.

They were interrupted, however, hearing the door open upstairs; Michael immediately turned his attention to the staircase, blinking, and while Adam was a little slower to bring his attention to it, he eventually tore his focus away from his brothers, who were still mumbling to each other from the kitchen. They didn't seem to be arguing, though, so that was good - but, again, Michael was distracted, when the door shut, and Castiel came wandering down the stairs, rubbing a hand down his face with a tired, broken look flickering through his deep blue eyes.

The angel paused when he saw Adam and Michael, and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly, but he didn't seem too surprised - he must have been notified that they'd be there. Michael offered a faint smile, and he would have waved, as well, but Adam was currently using their hands to flip through the book again, trying to find a page they had seen earlier. The archangel paused, sparing glances between the book and his brother as Castiel strode over to the table.

"Where are Sam and Dean?"

"Kitchen," Michael responded, expecting Castiel to head off immediately - instead, the angel just nodded, sinking into the chair across from them and closing his eyes for a moment, looking much more worn than the archangel had realized. And, now that he was thinking about it, Castiel had seemed rather tired, de-energized recently. He was still more powerful than Michael was right now, but with that said, he wasn't nearly as powerful as he should have been.

But he didn't say any of this in between glances from the book to his brother, and Adam was a little less than focused on the current conversation. Michael did speak, though, after a moment. "So, where have you been?"

"Searching," Castiel murmured, blinking his eyes open. "For Belphegor." At this, Adam's hands tensed around the book, grip tightening considerably, knuckles turning white, and Michael was sure all of the color had drained from their face at that moment. He could feel it, as their blood ran completely, icily cold, eyes widening. Adam was struggling to mask the expression almost immediately, while Michael simply diverted his gaze from Castiel, unable to hold eye contact.

"Oh- oh," the archangel mumbled, a rush of anxiety slamming straight into his chest, and Adam fought to steady them both again. They took a deep breath, holding it for a good few seconds, before Michael let it out in a deep huff and cleared their throat. "Uh, why- uh- why?"

Castiel blinked, eyes narrowing ever so slightly, and frowned. "Well, because… he…" The angel cleared his throat, suddenly looking uncomfortable, and he shifted slightly in his seat for a moment before quietly averting his gaze to the table, mouth twisting. "He is still… just… running around freely in Jack's body. Wearing him like a _coat_," the angel nearly spat, closing his eyes. "That abomination…" The angel shook his head, and Michael winced, struggling to push down his own fury along with Adam's at those words.

"I'm sorry, Castiel," Michael spoke up after a moment, hesitant, not quite knowing what to say, how to console his brother. The other angel just sighed and leaned back, his tense shoulders slowly relaxing again, and opened his eyes with nothing more than a half-hearted, tired shrug. Michael watched him for a moment, watched the way his eyes would drift shut again every so often, and the struggle he seemed to be having with keeping them open. Finally, unable to bite his tongue any longer, he leaned forward, looking down as Adam returned his attention to the book, but Michael kept his focus on Castiel for the most part. "Are you… alright?"

Castiel looked slightly taken aback by that, just for a second. And he sounded even more confused than his expression gave away, at least at first. "I am…" The angel paused, swallowed, cleared his throat, and continued, a little quieter this time. "I am as… alright as I can be given the circumstances," he replied carefully, his eyes searching Michael's carefully. This time, the archangel managed to hold his gaze for a few moments longer before Adam flicked their eyes back to the book, still scanning for the page he'd been searching for. "We won. I suppose that- that's all that matters," Castiel added, looking away.

"Perhaps…" Michael started, carefully, as he ran their tongue over their lips and cleared their throat a little bit. Adam flipped another page, scanning it quickly, and Michael waited a moment before looking back up at his younger brother, studying his face intently. "It's understandable, you know… being troubled about Jack," he added, his frown deepening slightly as he furrowed his eyebrows together, watching the other angel's expression change. "Are your powers…?"

A look of realization flitted across Castiel's face, blue eyes flickering faintly as he responded, quiet and distant once more. "My powers are…" He trailed off, seeming hesitant to continue. After a while, however, he finally spoke again, shaking his head. "Not as well as they once were. They're depleting - rapidly so. I can't figure out why, but…" The angel trailed off, sighing.

Michael furrowed his eyebrows, his concern only strengthening further from that. "Have you spoken to either of the Winchesters about this?" He questioned, as Adam spared another glance down at the book, flipping another page backwards with a sigh.

"Yes, I've tried… speaking to Dean, but he's… angry with me." Castiel folded his hands together over the table, not meeting his brother's gaze now, eyes rooted directly to the table as his eyebrows pinched together. "I can't blame him, of course, but I- well, I don't…" The angel shook his head, seeming slightly frustrated for a second. "I suppose there's no point in trying now."

Adam arched an eyebrow, finally seeming interested in the conversation. Michael leaned forward, crossing his arms over the table and directing his attention back to his brother. "Well, why is Dean angry with you?" The archangel questioned, blinking. After everything the angel had done for the Winchesters - following Michael's orders to protect him, even long after Michael had seemed the hunter useless to Heaven's plans, he had never strayed from their side. That kind of loyalty was… well, Michael could say that it almost equaled what he'd used to feel for his Father. Almost.

"I made a mistake. People got hurt. His mother- his mother…" Castiel ran his tongue over his lips and cleared his throat. "He still blames me for what happened. I'm not sure if there's anything I can do this time." The angel faltered for a second. "Nor am I sure that I want to try."

"Why?" Michael tilted his head a little, puzzled. Castiel seemed… resigned, too tired now to even fight back anymore, to win the Winchesters' affections back. "You're no quitter, Castiel."

"Sometimes you have to ask yourself if a battle is worth fighting," Castiel replied simply, leaning back in the chair and lifting his tired eyes to his brother's face as he hesitated. "And I have… I continue to bleed, and sweat, and cry for the Winchesters. And I will always love them, I will always see them as my family. But lately…" His eyes narrowed, eyes straying toward the kitchen. "I've been doubting that those feelings are returned. That they've ever been."

"Family fights," Adam piped up, tone blank, and Michael, although surprised, fell silent to listen as the demon continued, "people argue. They blame each other, they blame themselves. That doesn't mean they care about you any less." The archangel furrowed his eyebrows, looking away from Castiel for a moment. "Hell, sometimes that's the only way you can tell that they do." Adam's thoughts had trailed, back to their argument, and Michael paused, fixing his eyes on the wall. Seems that their fight had more of an impact on Adam than either of them had realized.

Castiel didn't say anything for a moment. He didn't seem entirely convinced, but he seemed to be thinking those words over, at least. "That's what I told myself. For a long time," he finally responded, inhaling through his teeth and looking toward the ceiling. "Everything I've ever known has just begun to crumble before me. I just recently began to trust our Father again, only to realize that He'd been the villain from the beginning. Controlling us, from the beginning. And even though I've tried to tell myself, console myself - console _them_… that what we have - the Winchesters and I - is _real_, even then, I can't help but- but wonder…" He trailed off, looking back down.

"What you feel for them is real, Castiel," Michael pressed gently, and the angel's gaze flickered back up to him, silent. "Clearly, it is. Father is…" He hesitated for a moment, swallowing hard, struggling against the betrayal, the anger, building up, as he continued. "Father is gone. You're still here - they're still here. You're all still fighting, and _you _still care. That means something."

Castiel simply stared at him for a moment, blue eyes flickering. Eventually, Adam directed their attention back to the book, flipping back a few pages further - and stopping, finally, when he found the page he was looking for. Something about ghouls, Michael caught a brief glimpse of it before he looked up again when Castiel spoke. "You're very… different."

"So I've been told," Michael mused, recalling Gabriel's words - _you're so different now_. "Hell does that to you, I guess," he added, half-heartedly. The slight chuckle from Castiel was unexpected, but most definitely not unwelcome. Even Adam snorted a little.

"I suppose so," Castiel replied quietly, falling silent for a while after that. Michael looked toward the kitchen for a moment, blinking faintly as a few mixed smells hit him all at once. He didn't recognize any of them, but Adam snapped back to attention almost at once. The smells made their mouth water instinctively, an odd sensation on Michael's end, and the demon breathed in.

_Bacon_…

"Hm." Michael tilted their head slightly, and Adam continued to stare for a while before, finally, they both turned away again. The demon redirected his attention to the book again, and Michael scanned the page for a bit longer, blinking. Adam was silent, though his eyes seemed to narrow slightly as his eyes flickered across the book, taking in the words and pictures printed across the paces. Then, finally, with a quiet huff, the demon reached out and flipped ahead again, tense.

Michael didn't have to ask why. He just kept silent, attempting to reassure the demon without words. Adam relaxed, if only slightly, but he was just as quiet.

"Thank you," Castiel spoke up suddenly, sounding awkward but genuine. Michael lifted his gaze to his brother at once, blinking, and the angel took a deep breath and leaned forward a little again. "For your reassurance. And for… simply listening." Castiel paused, holding his gaze for a moment, then looked away again. "I suppose I really needed… someone to talk to."

"You can always talk to me, Castiel," Michael replied softly, ignoring the internal snickers from Adam, as well as the unspoken - _such a sap _\- as he continued, "I'm always willing to listen." Castiel only managed a nod in response, and Michael waited a few seconds before speaking again, exhaling slowly through their teeth and clearing their throat. "For whatever it may be worth, brother, I'm proud of you. You're one of the few who actually understood."

"Understood what?" Castiel questioned, eyebrows furrowing faintly in confusion.

"That loyalty, respect, equality, they go hand in hand," Michael replied, his voice quieting a little bit for a moment, eyes trailing away from his brother to instead root his gaze back to the book, much to Adam's relief - the demon needed something else to focus on aside from the chick-flick moment he was having to endure - Michael was almost amused by that, actually. "You chose your battles, you chose your side, and you chose the right one. For you, and for them. You understood before I did. You were brave enough to figure it out, and in your own way. And even then, in doing so, you managed to follow the orders given to you. You're a good angel, Castiel. You always have been. And despite whatever mistakes you may have made, I'm sure you've been an equally good friend."

Castiel was silent now, a look of surprise flickering across his face. Michael finally managed to bring his gaze back to his brother's face, just in time to see the gratitude break through the confusion, the shock, the uncertainty. "That means…" He faltered, inhaling deeply. "That means lot, actually." He fell silent, just for a few seconds. "Thank you, Michael."

Michael only smiled back in return, fighting back a laugh as Adam tore their gaze back to the book, adamant on reading now. And, so, the archangel fell silent, amused, to allow him to focus again, much to the demon's relief. Unfortunately, he didn't get as far as he wanted to; Just as he was about to turn a page, Sam and Dean left the kitchen. The oldest hunter had a beer bottle in one hand, a sandwich in the other, and didn't look at any of them as he walked off to his room.

"Hey, Cas," Sam greeted, sparing a glance after his brother, and he frowned slightly before redirecting his attention back to the other two. Castiel only nodded back at him, while Adam and Michael turned their attention back to the book - and the demon groaned when Sam spoke up again, then promptly slammed the book shut, seemingly deciding he wasn't getting any reading done today. Michael offered an unspoken apology as he shifted his gaze back to the hunter. "Are any of you hungry? I got breakfast going, so…"

"No, thank you," Castiel responded quietly, eyes tracking Dean as the hunter left the room. The angel seemed to falter, but only slightly, taking a deep breath and looking back toward the others. Adam, on the other hand…

"I am. I'm hungry." The demon raised a hand slightly, and Sam's lips twitched, looking over at him. "Starving, actually, yeah. I want bacon."

Michael had to bite their tongue to keep from laughing.

"Shut up, Michael."

Sam's face broke into a small but genuine grin, and even Castiel looked faintly amused, staring at the two. "Alright, noted. Just a few more minutes, it's almost done," the hunter added, taking a sip of his coffee - and sparing one last glance in the direction Dean had gone - before he turned and left the room again, ducking back into the kitchen. Adam sat back, satisfied, and Michael just shook their head a little with a smile.

"Seems like the two of you are adjusting well," Castiel noted, watching them curiously. "It's a bit curious, I have to say, the two of you… possession has always been, more or less, one being in control at a time. Sometimes switching. Never both at once, as far as I've seen."

"Like Michael said." Adam shrugged in Castiel's direction, picking the book back up. "Hell does that to you." Michael only hummed slightly in agreement, and Castiel just raised his eyebrows slightly, giving a slow, albeit confused nod in response. "Now, if you guys are done, I'd like to get through this book. So, please, shut the hell up already."

Michael sighed a little bit, but he couldn't exactly scold the demon. He had said please that time.


	32. Chapter 32

Adam sighed a little as he flipped the book shut, nibbling on a piece of bacon. Michael was still there, but he had retreated for the most part, thinking about how he could possibly mend things with Dean; The archangel was still dead set on the idea that he was getting in the way of the demon's reconciliation with his brother, but to be completely honest, if Dean had a problem with Michael, than there was no point for Adam. He was honestly kind of miffed by the hunter - because, really, if this was still about the archangel trying to possess Dean and start the apocalypse way-back-when, then he was going to be really pissed off…

Michael had, after all, changed quite a bit. You'd think that was obvious enough - the archangel wouldn't hurt a fucking _fly_. Sure, he'd gotten angry enough to the point where he had almost attacked the hunter - but he _didn't_. And, to be completely honest, it wasn't as if he wasn't justified… The demon sighed, rolling his eyes and finishing off the piece of bacon he had in his hand, reaching down and grabbing another one.

He could taste the salt in this better than he had in the tacos. It was… well, it was interesting. It didn't hurt, not quite - it was somewhat reminiscent of a… ghost pepper. Hot, tingling on his tongue, singing at his taste buds and making his entire mouth water. Not quite uncomfortable, or painful in any way, in fact, he actually kind of liked it. He marveled at it for a while, honestly, the way food tasted now, the subtle differences. He could taste almost every little thing, every small tang he had missed before. Sight and smell weren't the only senses that had been heightened by his Transformation, clearly enough, and he wasn't complaining about this. Nor was he complaining about Sam's cooking - whatever he might have against his brother, he was a damn good cook, and Adam was more than willing to admit that. In his head.

Sam was sitting across from him, beside Castiel. He had his laptop open in front of him, typing away, while Castiel had actually seemed to have fallen asleep in his chair, head tilted back at an - admittedly - uncomfortable looking angle and his eyes shut. Adam raised an eyebrow slightly, but diverted his focus back to the bacon quickly enough, finishing off the piece he had picked up and grabbing the book with his free hand, scooting his chair back and standing up. Sam looked up, but didn't speak, as the demon wandered over to the bookshelf he had taken the book from, putting it back in its place and selecting a different one before heading back over to sit down.

"You like reading about monsters, huh?" Sam spoke up curiously, brushing his hands off on his jeans and leaning forward to get a look at the book as Adam set it down on the table. It was another one of those old leather-bound books, with weird markings on the cover. The demon raised an eyebrow, tracing over one of the symbols curiously as Sam went on, "I have a few books in my room I could get for you later, if you want."

"... intrigued," Adam admitted, narrowing his eyes slightly at his brother, a sparkle of curiosity entering his gaze now. Sam's lips twitched slightly, but he didn't respond - instead, his gaze flickered to the side as Dean entered the room, the crab finally wandering from its shell; And looking no less crabby as it did so. The hunter didn't say a word to any of them, empty beer bottle in hand as he headed straight for the kitchen.

Michael frowned, but he didn't say a word.

Adam narrowed his eyes further, staring after his brother for a long moment. It was odd, how easily it had seemed to switch on him, but he found his feelings for both of his brothers were steadily changing - just not quite in the way he had wanted them to. He didn't despise Sam as much anymore, which was good. But all of that loathing was now being directed at Dean - and, hell, it was more than possible that it was because it was just slowly becoming less and less directed toward Sam… and maybe he still needed someone to hate. Wasn't as if Dean was acting very likeable recently - I mean, hell, at least Sam was _trying_, right?

"What's his problem, anyway?" The demon asked suddenly, before he could really stop himself; Michael snapped back to attention at once, as did Sam, lifting his gaze from the laptop once more to focus on his younger half-brother. Adam narrowed his eyes toward the kitchen faintly, then slowly turned in his seat to face Sam again, crossing his arms over the table. "With Michael?" Adam clarified, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah…" Sam's mouth twitched into a hesitant, mirthless looking smile as his hazel eyes darted toward the kitchen, then came to rest on Adam again, frowning. "It's hard to explain."

"No, it's not." Adam whirled his head around at once, at the sound of Dean's voice, and Sam's expression shifted into something unreadable, a mix of uneasiness and irritation as he looked toward their brother. Dean just stepped forward, ignoring Sam's quiet warnings, and the growl that had begun to rise in Adam's throat, as the hunter met their gaze boldly. "It's because that angel you got wriggling around in there? He's a _monster_," Dean's voice lowered, turning deadly. "A monster, a murderer, and one of these days he's going to turn against you and the rest of us and destroy the world, or try to, because that's what monsters _do_."

No amount of betrayal could compare to the pain that exploded in Michael's chest right then.

No amount of abandonment could compare to the fury that lit Adam's body ablaze right then.

The demon stood, slow at first. One hard kick sent the chair crashing backwards, slamming hard against the wall; In the next instant, Sam was on his feet, alarmed, and Castiel had jerked away, and Dean hadn't moved, but his eyes had darkened considerably, and he was tense, now, clearly ready for a fight. Michael rose up, struggling to take control before the demon could do something he might end up regretting, but it was too late; Adam was done.

He fought the archangel down with ease as he stormed forward, one hand grabbing the front of Dean's shirt and the other closing around the hunter's throat as he pushed Dean back as hard as possible, shoving the hunter backwards into one of the bookshelves. It rocked violently at the pressure, but didn't tip over; Dean cringed, likely because the bookshelf was now digging into his spine, but Adam didn't care. He leaned in close, lips curled back into a snarl.

"Adam, _don't_," Sam was insisting behind him, uttering the words at the same time Michael managed to spit them out internally, trying to gain enough control to pull away from the hunter. But Adam held strong, tightening his grip ever so slightly around Dean's throat, and a choked gasp escaped the hunter's lips as he raised his head and twisted, struggling against the demon's grip. "_Adam_," Sam's voice cut into the demon's thoughts, but he wasn't really listening.

"I am _so done_," Adam hissed, leaning forward a little bit more. "With people like you treating Michael like shit." He tightened his grip, and Michael's internal screams got louder. Dean's struggles stopped, his own glare sharpening ever so slightly toward the other - and then, abruptly, he froze. His face flickered, an odd emotion shining through his eyes, confusion, but not even much of that - more like he had seen something he hadn't expected.

_Adam, __**no! **__STOP! You don't want to do this!_

"I _definitely _want to do this, Michael," Adam roared, and Dean flinched ever so slightly, more from the force of the words than anything. The demon jerked a little, feeling someone touch his shoulder, and his head whirled around slightly to give Sam and Castiel a cold, warning glare before he turned back to face Dean again, the growl rumbling in his throat fading for a second. "You think _he's_ a monster, _bitch_?" The demon cocked his head slightly, eyes widening slightly, teeth bared. At this point, Dean's face was changing in color. Adam could feel him gasping for air, throat restricting under his grip, and in response, he couldn't help but tighten his hold just a tad. "I'll _show you a motherfucking monster-"_

Something wet hit the back of his neck, and, startled, he loosened his grip - and then released Dean completely when a burst of hot, electric pain shot through him. The demon let out a distorted half-screech, half-roar as he reeled back, away from the hunter, who immediately covered his throat and began gasping for air the second he was able to, a bit of color returning to his cheeks. Adam only backed away, hands raised, clasping them over the back of his neck and gasping a little as he struggled to make sense of what had just happened.

"_Cas_," Sam hissed, already at his brother's side, prying his hands away from his throat to check on him. Adam just continued backing away, eyes darting toward the angel - he was holding a flask of what the demon assumed contained whatever he had been hit with, his initial irritation at the interruption turning to flat-out rage; But he kept his distance now, too wary of whatever was in the flask to make another move, at least for the moment.

Taking the chance while Adam was distracted, Michael had risen up again, taking control back and pushing Adam down, gentle but firm enough to ensure that the demon couldn't attack anyone again. He snarled, but he didn't protest, while Michael struggled to calm their shaking hands, still clasped over the back of their head. He stayed still, as if afraid any small movement could send Adam forward again.

"It was necessary," Castiel replied to Sam, stepping forward in front of the brothers and facing Adam. He didn't look particularly angry, nor really upset - but he was definitely wary, definitely protective, and _definitely _willing to use that flask again. Adam bit back his snarl, while Michael finally brought up the courage to move them back a few steps, breathing heavily.

"I'm sorry, I- he just- he can't control-" The archangel tried to explain, tried to defend, but he stumbled over his words too much for them to make sense of what he was trying to say. Well, the hunters, at least; Castiel seemed to understand, and he sent his brother a reassuring look before turning away again, deeming it safe to turn his back on the archangel and the demon and making his way to Dean's other side. His hands rose, hovered, but never made contact, as Dean had leaned away from the angel the second he had gotten close enough.

Adam gritted his teeth slightly, struggling to calm himself now. He tried to do so by recalling the last time he had gotten this angry, but even then, he couldn't force himself to relax. So he gave in, surrendering all control to Michael, much to the archangel's relief.

_It's okay, _Michael was trying to reassure, mouth snapped shut as tight as possible, wide eyes fixed on the three in front of them. Adam didn't respond, feeling the way they shook, wondering if it was still him - but, no, it couldn't be him, he wasn't in control anymore… the demon stayed silent, rage and frustration mixing together, confusion and disbelief, irritation and pain. _It's okay._

Adam didn't reply, for fear of snapping back at the archangel. Michael seemed to understand that, but he didn't stop his quiet reassurances. His attempts to calm the demon down fell upon deaf ears, however, as Adam only stared, the rage flickering through him not letting up a bit.

Finally, Dean pushed himself forward, away from Sam and Castiel, the former of which was attempting to steady him, while the latter just stayed close, in case he was needed. The hunter stumbled a few steps, but caught himself quickly, inhaling deeply and glancing up at Adam and Michael. He seemed a little less cold, a little more resigned, but there was definitely nothing warm or welcoming about his expression now, no trace of friendliness in his eyes.

"You wanna know what my problem is?" The hunter questioned, taking another step forward. "I've been down this road before, pal. I've had enough of any _Michael _to last me for a long time," he spat. "Maybe you're not the same. Maybe you're not _that _Michael, the one from _that _universe. I know that. But I got a bad feeling about you - and I can't shake it. For the life of me, I can't shake it." Dean took a deep breath, shrugging Sam off completely. "You're the problem. _You. Michael_. That's it." With that, he shoved past his brother and the angel, veered sharply around Adam and Michael, and left the room. A moment later, they heard a door shut. Hard.

There were so many things that didn't make sense about Dean's speech, but Adam had to admit that _the one from 'that' universe _was on top of that list. The demon stayed silent, confusion replacing the fury, as Michael glanced behind them before turning back to the other two, his own bewilderment rising as the words echoed through their head.

"What did he mean…?" Michael breathed out, eyes flickering from Sam to Castiel and back again. The hunter was silent, exchanging a look with the angel, who just blinked, looking puzzled - even though, most definitely, Michael and Adam were the ones who should have been confused right then. "What did he mean- _that _universe?" The archangel added shakily, "what universe? What does that _mean_?"

He sounded so helplessly confused, and for a second, something in Adam seemed to crack. He pushed it down, pushed everything down, and slowly rose up to control again. Michael let him, now that Dean wasn't nearby - Adam didn't have a problem with Sam and Castiel, at least, not enough to where he was going to get physically violent. Regardless, the demon was still quiet, just watching and listening as Sam took a breath in, sighed, and stepped forward.

"Is Adam okay?"

"Fine," the demon mumbled shortly, his own voice quivering, whether from fury or otherwise, Adam had absolutely no idea. Michael ran their fingers through their hair, and Adam just fell silent again for a moment, swallowing hard before speaking again. "We would… very much so like an explanation now, please."

"Yeah." Sam shook his head and glanced back at Castiel, who was putting the flask away on a shelf now, silent as ever. The hunter cleared his throat, turning back to Michael and Adam, and gestured toward the table with a strained expression on his face. Wonderful, the day had actually started out somewhat decent, and now they were all stressed to the max, Adam included. "You, uh, you're gonna want to sit down for this."


	33. Chapter 33

"And then… well, Jack destroyed him."

Michael felt like he was about to be sick. And, from Adam's end, things weren't exactly sunshine and rainbows, either. There was shock, there was disbelief, there was confusion, there was fury - and while there was no sympathy, no understanding, there was something close, simmering just below the surface, but too far buried under the demon's rage for him to reach right then. The archangel sank back in the chair, hands shaking slightly as he curled their arms around them as tight as he could, a desperate, yet half-hearted attempt to hold both of them together. Neither his mind nor his heart was in it right then, and, despite the story being mostly about Dean and… and _other _Michael, he could only really focus on one of the things that Sam had said during his explanation, one of the things that had struck him harder than ever.

The _reason _Dean had let the other Michael in - to kill Lucifer. He felt like his insides had frozen over, pain and confusion swirling in his chest as he fought to make sense of it all. Dean had said that he'd had _help _before - but Michael hadn't focused on that. But why - above all of that - _why _hadn't _Lucifer _said something? During all of his stories, all of the chances he'd had to say _hey, bro, by the way, a version of you from another universe killed me_, he had never once mentioned a thing - he had never once even _hinted_, aside from the head-tilts in their direction when he talked about his death, as if he was looking at them, but even then, with no eyes, that was _extremely _hard to tell _anyway_…

And then, aside from _that_, the fact that there were other universes… Michael wasn't as _surprised _as he should have been - mind you, Adam was still pretty shocked about that particular aspect - but, thinking back, Lucifer had mentioned… _he's probably headed off to a new universe by now, starting all over again. _

Michael blinked and faltered, gaze flickering away from Sam and Castiel to instead look down at the table, unable to hold eye contact any longer. He just couldn't _grasp _it, how much they'd missed - how little he'd really _known _about his Father, including the apparent creation of universes before this one. But, finally, he forced his attention away from that part of it, away from Lucifer, as much as it killed him, to focus on the topic at hand; Dean. It was certainly understandable now, if what Sam was saying about the other Michael was true, his wariness was perfectly justified. Adam both agreed and disagreed.

To think that he was capable of all of that - even another version of him… to think that he would have _become _that, had he succeeded… Michael felt their throat tighten slightly from the thought. There were so many things he wanted to say, questions he wanted to ask, but he couldn't bring himself to open their mouth. So instead, he just stared down at the table, blinking.

He could have become that. He _would _have become that.

_No, no, no, _Adam insisted, drawing Michael from his thoughts. _Don't even start with that, Michael. You know you're not capable of that. You __**know **__that._

_Not anymore, _Michael corrected silently. There was a time when he would have been _very _capable of all of that. If he was so willing to kill his own brother back then, then really, was there a _limit _to the things he would have done? The thought made him shudder slightly, biting down hard on their lower lip in an attempt to steady himself, to bring himself back to the present, but he was too lost in his own thoughts now.

Finally, though, he managed to - somewhat - bring his mind back to the present. Forcing himself to look up again, he flicked his gaze first to Castiel, and then Sam. And, with nothing else to say, he only mumbled a quiet, "I'm sorry." before he fell silent again, struggling against every part of him at the moment. He didn't want to do this, to sink down into his own shame, his own regrets. He wanted to believe Adam, to _listen _to Adam, to know that what he was saying was true, but he just _couldn't. _For the life of him, he just couldn't.

_Michael, for fuck's sake- _Adam started, then, with a frustrated hiss, the demon abruptly retreated, letting his control slip away at once. Michael's gaze snapped up at once, eyes widening slightly, alarmed, but Adam was speaking before he had time to question the demon. _Meet me inside. Now._

Still startled, Michael mumbled another quiet apology to a bewildered looking Sam and an understanding Castiel before he let his own control slip away, following Adam back into the darkness. The demon fought their way through, ignoring each one of the memories they passed, and Michael rushed after him, falling into step with the other quickly. Adam didn't look at him, hands curled into fists at his sides, and the archangel let his gaze linger on the demon for a long moment in confusion, before looking ahead again, wondering where they were going.

Adam led him past both of the parks, eyes narrowed ahead, then stopped. He turned to face Michael abruptly, the darkness enveloping them both briefly, before, abruptly, a memory burst to life, colors exploding around them, and Michael winced slightly in surprise while Adam only crossed his arms over his chest, and waited. Waited, until, finally, suddenly, three certain voices rose up. Michael blinked down at Adam, then turned, eyes widening faintly as he stared.

It was him and his brothers, in Lilith's Chamber, singing. The way they had used to, the way they had always done - content, just for the moment, in each other's presence.

"You can say whatever the fuck you want to, Michael," Adam was still seething as he stepped up beside the archangel, and Michael spared him a quick glance before looking back at himself and his brothers, eyes flickering faintly as he watched. Lucifer was smiling, something that Michael hadn't noticed before, and even Gabriel warmed up as he sang, lips twitching slightly, but going no further than that. The archangel faltered, softening slightly. "But I _know _you," the demon continued with a huff, blowing his hair from his face, "and you're no monster."

Michael looked over at him, his attention shifting from his brothers to the demon instantly.

Adam glanced back at him, holding his gaze briefly, but he didn't say anything. Finally, after a long moment, Michael managed a faint, albeit hesitant smile, turning completely to face the demon again as he dropped his arms from around himself. "Thank you," he mumbled, quietly, taking a deep breath. Coming from Adam, that certainly meant a lot - now, if only he could actually bring himself to believe it, that would be even better.

"I know you hate yourself, Michael, I just don't… I don't know _why_," Adam mumbled, tearing his gaze away from the archangel and focusing on the ground instead, his mouth twisting into a deep, sharp grimace as he let his eyes drift shut for a moment. "But you can't focus on being better if you're so focused on how you weren't before. You can't forward if you're stuck on the past - _believe me_, I know, I've been stuck on the past since we got back." The demon exhaled and opened his eyes again, sparing a glance back up at the archangel. "And you can't blame yourself for something _you _didn't even do. Not _this _you - not the _real you."_

Michael just took in a shaky breath and nodded, looking away. His eyes stung, but no tears came, even as his throat closed up and his mouth went dry. "I'm trying."

"I know." Adam fell silent for a moment, and when he spoke again, he was hesitant, but still genuine. Michael blinked his eyes open again, looking down at him as the demon continued. "I want…" The demon trailed off, licking his lips, then took in a deep breath and raised his head. "You said you wanted me to be happy, and I want you to be, too. How are you supposed to be happy when you second guess every step you take, when you- when you beat yourself up over every little mistake, even if you're not even in the wrong?" Michael didn't respond, tears finally brewing up in the archangel's eyes, and Adam took a step forward. "Michael, you can't do this to yourself anymore. You're always so set on making things right, aren't you? Maybe the one you need to start with is _you_."

"I know- you're right- I _know_\- I just-" Michael took a deep, shaky breath and held it for a moment, squeezing his eyes shut as tight as he could and shaking his head desperately. "It's so _hard_. Everything I do is _so _damn _hard_ all the time."

"I _know_," Adam's voice finally wavered, but didn't break. "But you're not doing this _alone_."

Michael didn't say anything for a moment, pressing his hands into his eyes and nodding. After a while, both of them silent, listening to the singing archangels only several feet away, Michael dropped his hands again, took a deep breath, and looked back over at Adam, who was just watching him carefully. "Where'd this come from, anyway?" He questioned shakily, trying to smile. The tears had cleared away, thankfully enough, but his chest still ached painfully, his throat was still tight. "I thought you hated, uh… feelings…"

"I do," Adam muttered, eyes narrowing and a slight scowl appearing as he looked down, refusing to meet Michael's gaze now. "But I care about you more than I hate anything. It's just…" The demon huffed, shaking his head. "... About time I stopped… lying."

Michael managed a small, genuine smile, swallowing hard and finally managing to force back the lump rising in his throat. They were both silent for a while, lost in their own thoughts, and they only looked up when the memory began to dissolve around them, giving way to the dizzying darkness once again. The archangel blinked a few times, letting his eyes adjust as he looked around. Then, sucking in a slow, deep breath, he finally came to a decision.

"You know, uh…" He started, slowly, and Adam's eyes flickered back to him. "What you said about- about making things right, I…" The archangel trailed off, running his tongue over his lips, then cleared his throat and looked away again. "I want to try talking to Dean."

"Of course you do," Adam responded blankly, giving him a look. Michael only glanced back over at him, slightly desperate, eyes pleading - and, after a second, offering a slight groan from the back of his throat, the demon caved. "Okay. You do you. Knowing you, you can just- flash him that look and he'll fall right for it," Adam grumbled, closing his eyes for a moment. "But it wouldn't be a good idea for me to be anywhere remotely nearby if you want to get through this conversation without him possibly losing his head."

"Yeah, that…" Michael hesitated a little. "Would be a, uh, pretty awkward conversation stopper." At this, Adam actually snorted out a few snickers, and Michael managed a small smile in return. "I can wait until… until you get tired or something," he added quietly.

"Mm…" Adam sighed through his teeth. "Boy, do I hate the idea of leaving you alone with that douchebag," he grumbled. Michael studied him for a moment, his small smile widening just a little bit further. He almost couldn't believe it, how far the both of them had come. Adam, especially - Michael knew, now, at least, that the demon had cared for him from the very beginning, but even then, the archangel had his doubts, questioning, exactly, how close they really were, and how _wanted _Michael really was. Any uncertainty had been wiped away, any doubts as to whether or not the demon wanted him around dissolved.

Adam was a good friend. Michael just hoped that he could return that - that he could be the kind of anchor to Adam as the demon was to him.

The demon met his gaze, silent as ever, but his unspoken _you are _wasn't unheard. Michael smiled slightly in response, and Adam's lips twitched ever so slightly - not quite a smile, but getting there. Then, clearing his throat, he looked away again, sighing. "Look, if you're gonna talk to dickhead, you should probably give him some time. Let him calm down a bit. I doubt our face is the one he's gonna wanna see after that." An odd look crossed Adam's face for a moment, and Michael blinked, tilting his head slightly. It wasn't quite guilt, not quite shame, but something close to it, just a little weaker. He was still too angry to feel bad, at least right now.

"Yeah," Michael agreed, quietly, exhaling slowly and looking away again, eyes flickering around the darkness for a few seconds. Finally, blinking, realizing they had kind of just left Sam and Castiel without any kind of explanation whatsoever, the archangel spared Adam a hesitant look. "We should probably…" He trailed off, and Adam blinked, then grimaced, a look of realization flitting across his face.

"Probably, yeah…" Adam paused, looking him up and down. "So… are you good now? None of that self-destructive self-loathing left?" He gestured toward the archangel and, despite himself, Michael just had to smile a little.

"I'm… okay. I think," the archangel responded honestly, and, after a moment, he stepped forward. He didn't go in for another hug, not wanting to make Adam uncomfortable, as the demon had already put himself through enough emotional bullshit for one day, but he did reach out to clasp a hand over Adam's shoulder, giving a soft squeeze. "Thank you," he murmured.

Adam stared at him for a moment in silence, searching Michael's gaze quietly. Then, finally, a very faint, but very genuine smile tugged at the demon's lips, if only for a split second. "Always," he replied quietly, simply, and Michael's smile warmed even further. "Now, come on," the demon sighed, shrugging his hand off. "Before the urge to blow my own brains out comes back."

"Dark," Michael mumbled, although slightly amused, as they both rose up again as one, splitting the control between them with practiced ease. Adam pushed them to sit up in the chair, as they had kind of just slumped down into it the moment Michael had released the rest of his control. Sam was sitting in front of them, on his laptop again, but both he and Castiel - who was pacing - turned the second they sat up, relief flickering across their faces as they turned.

"Sorry 'bout that," Adam said simply, idly reaching a hand up to rub the back of their neck, as if it still stung. Michael frowned a little, distracted by that, but Adam dismissed his concerns with nothing more than an unspoken reassurance as he continued, "what'd we miss?"

"Not much," Sam huffed out a slight laugh, but concern was clear in his eyes, searching their face carefully. "Are you guys alright?"

_You guys, _Adam had noted that in particular, somewhat amused, and Michael tilted their head faintly, blinking. Now that he thought about it, Michael had been referring to them as… well, just that - _them_. Two people, not just Adam. As if his concern stretched to the both of them, not just his younger half-brother. The archangel's eyebrows furrowed faintly, but he stayed silent. "I'm still pissed, but yeah, I think we're okay. Right?"

"Uh- yeah," Michael mumbled back quickly, and Adam nodded slightly. Sam paused slightly, watching them both, then turned and shut the laptop, scooting his chair back.

"So, uh, I was thinking," the hunter said carefully as he stood, and, despite himself, Michael tensed a little. Adam just stared, eyes narrowing. A million thoughts raced through the archangel's head in just the span of a few short seconds - were the Winchesters going to ask them to leave because of what happened? Michael would understand, and on some level Adam would, too, but the thought still hurt, because it meant he really was getting in the way here, and that was the last thing he wanted. Adam, on the other hand, was as calm as ever, ready for anything, even if it meant having to leave. Hell, he didn't seem fazed at all.

All of Michael's worries proved to be for nothing, however, as Sam continued, "and I wanted to try something - mostly with Adam, since he seems to need it a little more, but…" The hunter looked down at them, and the demon blinked, while Michael exhaled a soft sigh of relief. "I think it might help a lot. At least, I hope so."

"Explain," Adam demanded, eyes narrowing considerably. Michael reeled him back a little, offering a quiet - _be nice_ \- and the demon just huffed out a sigh and rolled their eyes. But, he did surprise Michael with a begrudging, "please."

Sam's lips twitched, gesturing for them to follow. "Come on, you'll see." He turned around to face Castiel, who was adjusting his sleeves. The other angel paused, looking up, and Michael's eyes strayed to rest on his brother again. He looked slightly stressed, but otherwise, he seemed alright for the most part; He caught their gaze, offering nothing more than a nod.

"I'll be up here if you need anything." The angel's eyes darted in the direction of Dean's room, and Michael didn't have to ask to know he wanted to keep an eye on the hunter.

"Alright." Sam spared a glance back at Michael and Adam - the latter of which gave a soft huff and reluctantly pushed them to stand after a good few seconds. They were a little unsteady at first, but Michael grabbed onto the back of the chair to hold them upright, ignoring the sudden rush of nausea that had abruptly flared up the second they stood. They brushed it off easily enough, though, and with one last glance back at Castiel, then in the direction of Dean's room, Michael turned them to follow Sam, who was already heading off.


	34. Chapter 34

"You have a firing range?" Adam was a mixture of impressed and confused as he followed Sam into the room. Michael raised their eyebrows slightly, looking around, intrigued and yet just as bewildered as the demon, while Sam only chuckled a little, glancing back at them in amusement as he led them over to one of the targets. They stopped just at the counter, and Sam stepped aside to let them step up beside him. Adam blinked, looking ahead curiously at the target just ahead, a good distance away from where they stood.

"Mhm. We don't really use it, but it's nice to have around for target practice sometimes." Sam paused and stepped away, and Adam glanced back over at his older half-brother as the hunter reached back, pulling his shirt up a little bit and unattaching a pistol from the holster on his jeans. "And sometimes I just come down here to let off some steam when I need to, you know. It's actually pretty calming," the hunter admitted, checking the gun over carefully. "You ever shoot a gun before?"

Adam just stared at him, not quite comprehending, while Michael seemed to realize instantly. "No," they both responded, short and simple, eyes narrowing.

"See, when we were little, Dean and I - I got into this argument with Dad. I don't even remember what it was about, but-" Sam's lips twitched slightly, putting the gun down on the counter and heading past them to shut the door. Adam glanced down at the gun, raised his eyebrows, then turned to watch the hunter silently. "I do remember Dean taking me out back into the forest near the hotel and teaching me how to shoot cans off of tree stumps. I was so angry-" He paused, turning back to them, "and then I just… wasn't."

Adam blinked, finally realizing what the hunter was getting at. And, while Michael seemed intrigued, the demon just huffed out a slight sarcastic laugh and spared a glance at the pistol. "Okay, I'm- I'm sorry, but _what _about my current mental state makes you think that it's at all wise to put a gun in _my _hand right now?" He asked incredulously, looking back up as Sam as his brother walked back over to them. "How do you know I won't just shoot you?"

"I trust you," Sam replied simply, picking the pistol back up. The hunter paused, then, meeting their gaze briefly and adding shortly, "_both_ of you."

Whatever rage Adam had held for Sam before had fizzled out at that moment. Where it had gone, and if it would return, the demon had absolutely no clue. But he knew that, in that second, and at least _for _that second, he was nowhere near as pissed at his brother as he had been since the Cage. And he had absolutely no idea what to do with that revelation. Michael had also softened considerably, and, feeling a smile coming on from the archangel's end, the demon inhaled and turned his head away from Sam, clearing his throat. Michael was one thing - but Adam wasn't willing to show that kind of weakness, that kind of caring, toward Sam. Not yet.

"So?" Sam prompted, and Adam glanced over reluctantly, hearing a small _click _as the hunter cocked the pistol and turned back to them. "How about it?"

Adam hesitated a little, still staring at him. Michael was as encouraging as ever, easily trusting them both - Adam, on the other hand, wasn't sure where he stood on this. He'd never shot a gun before, and while he'd never been particularly afraid of guns, he'd never even held one in his entire life. And it was a stupid thing to be wary of, considering all of the torture he'd been through, yet, staring at it now, faced with the decision, it was a little more terrifying than he would have liked to admit. And he definitely did not like that - he didn't like _anything _that made him feel even remotely weak, in this way, and so, of course, just to prove that he wasn't _afraid_, he had to agree. "... I'll try anything once."

"Alright." Sam offered a smile, warm and encouraging, and Adam only narrowed their eyes slightly in response. Michael was silent, just watching with a quiet air of intrigue, as the hunter stepped forward, gesturing for Adam to turn back around to face the target, which the demon did so after a moment of reluctance. "The first thing I need to tell you, the first thing Dean told me when he taught me how to shoot - never, ever aim your gun at anything you don't intend to kill," Sam told him, his tone dropping, turning serious now.

Adam narrowed his eyes a little bit at that, but he didn't say anything.

"You left or right handed?"

"Right-" Adam paused, eyes immediately snapping back to his brother as Sam stepped forward, reaching out to grab his wrist. The demon resisted a little at first, eyes hardening faintly at the contact - but one simple, assuring look from Sam made him go still, the comforting glances almost enough to remind the demon of Michael - and that was definitely enough to stop him, at least for a few seconds. Sam returned to what he was doing, lifting Adam's right arm up and pressing the gun into his hand firmly.

"Then that's the hand you're going to grip the gun with," the hunter was telling him, and Adam, albeit slightly irritated - okay, extremely irritated - by the contact, he stood still while Sam curled his middle, ring and pinkie finger around the grip of the pistol, adjusting his thumb and index finger along the length of the top of the pistol on either side. Adam just watched, swallowing down the rush of anxiety that was rising in his chest. He may be a demon, but he had been human, too, and there were just some thing from the human part of him that he couldn't quite shake. "You don't put your finger on the trigger until you're aimed and ready to shoot, got it?"

Unable to speak, Adam could only nod. Satisfied, Sam lifted his arm a bit, adjusted his hand a bit more, then let go to walk around to the other side. The demon went still, holding the gun up himself, eyes widening ever so slightly as he stared. _Hey, it's okay, _Michael assured him, a mix of confused and concerned, but Adam didn't reply. _I've got you._

Adam just took in a breath and nodded again, looking over as Sam grabbed his other wrist, raising his left hand to the gun.

"This hand goes up here, too - gripping around the bottom," the hunter told him, and the demon nodded slightly, watching as his brother adjusted his hand around the gun. "Sometimes you _can _shoot a gun one-handed, and sometimes you have to, but it required a much stronger grip. I'll teach you that once you've got this down. For now, you have to focus…" Sam shifted slightly, and, holding onto Adam's left arm with one hand, he reached around and grabbed the other, raising the gun so that it was level with Adam's face. "Hold steady, and aim."

Steady was about the _last _thing Adam was feeling at that moment, but he didn't say that. Michael was helping to calm the slight tremors in their hands, but the demon still felt… on edge, shaky. Sam paused, reaching out to adjust his hands over the gun again. "It's not gonna feel natural the first few times you shoot. Just hold as steady as you can," the hunter encouraged, kind and gentle - which finally caused a bit of irritation to break through, and thank… well, not _God_, but you get the gist - before placing his hands on Adam's shoulders, sliding him forward a few steps. "Keep yourself grounded, too. Keep your attention ahead, but put some focus on the lower half of your body."

They continued on and, Adam, while slightly annoyed, allowed Sam to move him around into the proper shooting position - and both he and Michael were paying careful attention to the hunter's warnings and tips as he did so, though Adam wouldn't admit that out loud. He most certainly couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling, the uncertainty that came with holding a gun, and to be completely honest, he hated it - it just reminded him of what he used to be. What he wasn't anymore, what he would never be again, and what he didn't _want _to be.

"Okay. Now, remember, the gun's going to jerk," Sam warned, snapping the demon back to his senses. He twitched a little, but he didn't move his gaze from ahead, and Michael pulled them steady again as the hunter continued, "stretch your arms out a little further, bend your elbows- just like that, good," he praised, as Adam did as instructed - prompting the demon to roll his eyes in the process - and continued on, "now, again, the gun's going to jerk - but under no circumstances are you to let go of it, understood? It's going to take you by surprise, and it's going to stray from where you're aiming it, but you hold it as steady as you can." Adam just nodded, eyes narrowing, wondering when they would just get on with it already, and Michael chided him slightly in response, along with a reminder that this was important. "And it's going to be loud - _very _loud, and distracting, but, again-"

"Don't let go," Adam droned, huffing out a sigh. "I got it."

"Good. You think you're ready to shoot?" Sam asked carefully, stepping aside slightly to watch them. Adam raised his eyebrows slightly, keeping as steady as he could. Despite Michael's attempts to calm them both down, their hands still trembled ever so slightly, arms practically locked in place, shaking, and as annoying as it was, Adam couldn't stop it to save his life.

"Been ready for a while now…"

"Got your aim? Rear and front sights?" Sam checked, and Adam bit back a hiss in response, sparing him an irritated look before returning his gaze ahead again, lifting the gun a little bit further, as he had lowered it slightly when he had looked over at his brother. He huffed a little, taking a moment to adjust the gun again, lining up the sights as Sam had told him to - annoyingly - over and over and _over _again…

"_Yeah_, Sam, I _got it._" _See? He's distracting, _the demon grumbled, and Michael didn't respond, but he seemed slightly amused now despite Adam's frustration.

"Okay," Sam responded smoothly, despite the demon's display of irritation. "Then put your index finger on the trigger - _carefully_, and don't press _yet_," he warned, and Adam resisted the urge to roll his eyes again as he did as instructed, eyes narrowing slightly as he looked ahead. "Take a deep breath, brace yourself, and press down on the trigger. Not too forcefully, but with direct pressure," the hunter narrowed his eyes and stepped back.

Adam set their jaw slightly, looking up. Michael was silent, allowing him most control, only having enough to try and keep them steady. The shaking was just getting annoying by now, but he was doing his best not to focus on it. Instead, he focused on doing what Sam had told him to, as annoyed as he was; He inhaled as deeply as possible, holding the breath for a moment, then swallowed, clenched his teeth, and pressed down on the trigger.

Sam was right - even though he had been prepared for it, the way the pistol jerked upwards had caught him by surprise. He tightened his grip reflexively, almost putting further pressure on the trigger, but Michael had managed to take enough control to stop them before he could do so, thankfully enough. And the sounds… the sound of the gun firing, the bullet whizzing through the air, the shell hitting the floor, each one rang through their ears, far too loud, and the ringing remained long after he had lowered the gun, gasping.

He could have sworn his heart had stopped, but now it was racing.

"Not bad," Sam said thoughtfully, but Adam could barely hear him over the ringing - hell, the only reason he did was probably because of his enhanced demon hearing, anyway. He blinked a few times, staring ahead, and narrowed his eyes slightly. He hadn't even hit the target; The bullet had went through several inches beside where the head was. He had missed completely.

"I missed," Adam said blankly, but even then, he couldn't fight back the rush that had enveloped him, the adrenaline pumping in his veins now. He looked down at the gun, moving his finger off of the trigger, but he didn't put it down yet. Now he was just determined, adamant - he wanted to shoot again, and again, and again, until he could hit the target. The demon took a deep breath and held it for a second, shaking his head a little, trying to calm down his racing heart.

_It __**was **__your first time, _Michael encouraged, sounding slightly dazed.

"It's your first time shooting a gun, man," Sam chuckled, and Adam raised his eyebrows slightly, looking over at his older half-brother. "You're not gonna hit the target on the first try - hell, it took me hours before I could shoot a can off of a tree stump." He stepped forward, glancing toward the target - actually looking impressed, too. "You got pretty close, though."

Adam blinked, looking back over at the target. He was still irritated that he had missed, but, again, more determined than ever to keep trying. "Guess so," he mumbled simply, raising the gun again and narrowing his eyes as he lined the sights up with the target again, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. It was easier to stop the shaking, if only slightly, his nerves having been calmed and stifled with the need to hit the target. Just once.

Well, Sam had been right. That anger was long gone. At least for now. Their lips twitched slightly from Michael's end, a rush of warmth enveloping their chest, and Adam shook his head faintly with a sigh, struggling to fight it down enough to focus.

"Hey, don't sweat it - you're a Winchester." Sam flashed him a smile. "This? It's in your blood."

This time, the warmth was all Adam's, and he hated and liked it at the same time. Instead of responding, however, he just raised the gun again, and steeled himself to shoot again.

_My turn next, _Michael told him cheerfully, and, lips twitching, Adam agreed.

* * *

They must have stayed in there for hours, Sam watching carefully and encouraging Adam and Michael while they switched control back and forth between shooting. Adam was the one to land the first shot on the target; Right on the head. While Michael had landed a few shots around the chest and shoulders, himself. And there was nothing like the feeling of actually hitting it, the rush that came with it, the adrenaline - He could have done this all day, and Michael agreed; While he wasn't too keen on violence, the archangel seemed to enjoy the rush of adrenaline, himself. It was certainly a welcome distraction for the both of them.

Finally, though, Sam decided enough was enough, though all of them were reluctant to call it quits. The hunter had deemed it safe enough for him to check on Dean, and, with the promise that he would teach Adam and Michael more later on, he had gone to do just that, while the demon retreated to the showers and the archangel retreated into their mind, both of them content once again - at least for the moment.

Adam made his way to the room that Sam had shown them to the night before, closing the door behind him and falling back onto the bed. He ran his fingers through his hair, still wet from the shower, and let out a slow, satisfied sigh. It was almost hard to believe that a day spent with _Sam _had actually ended up decent, but he hadn't hated it. Hell, he'd actually liked it. So, with that - maybe there _was _a way for him to get past the rage. Maybe there was a way for him to forgive. Sam, at least, he was slowly, but surely, starting to warm up to.

Most of him didn't know how to feel about that, but he was trying.

The demon closed his eyes, stretching out on the bed, then retreated along with Michael. He found the archangel back in the memory of Hell, listening to the singing. Honestly, it had taken him by surprise, at first, listening to the three, down in Lilith's Chamber. Certainly hadn't quite been what he had expected. It was… angelic, that was the only thing that Adam could describe it as - and, even more shocking, was the language they had sung it in. And the fact that Adam could recite every word, the fact that he had understood everything that had been sung.

Michael looked up at him, a faint smile appearing on his face as the demon made his way over, settling down on the floor beside him. "Hey."

Adam hummed a quiet greeting back at him in response, closing his eyes for a moment and relaxing against the wall. They were both silent for a while, lost in their own thoughts; The stress from earlier had left them both… well, not as exhausted as usual, but definitely sleepy. They really needed to figure out how they were going to get around that - but, then, maybe they didn't need to, maybe they'd just… adjust. After so long in the Cage, which was as peaceful, as _quiet _as could be, it wasn't surprising that they were being thrown for a loop with all of this drama.

"M'gonna try to talk to Dean tomorrow," Michael murmured, a soft, tired sigh breaking through his lips. Adam opened his eyes to look over at him, silent. "Hopefully smooth things over. Or- try to."

Adam stayed silent for a while, just staring at him, before speaking. "Be careful." He didn't know if the hunter could do anything to hurt the archangel physically, but he knew, judging by what had happened earlier, that it would be all too easy for Dean to cut him down emotionally. And that was just something that Adam wasn't going to stand for, no sir.

"I will."

Adam nodded and turned away, not quite satisfied, but knowing, at least, that he didn't need to press any further than that. Michael relaxed just as easily, nothing more than a soft sigh escaping him as they both sank back against the wall, as one, eyes drifting shut. Michael was the first to fall asleep - Adam felt the rest of his energy drain as he did. And then everything was silent, aside from the singing of the angels, and a small smile tugged at the demon's lips for a second as the sound echoed around the room - and then, finally, he gave in, letting himself drift off.


	35. Chapter 35

Michael woke up feeling a little more relaxed, and yet, at the same time, dreading the day that would follow. Adam was still asleep beside him - the demon had shifted, sprawled out onto his stomach and his head buried into his arms like a pillow, snoring quietly. For a moment, the archangel just watched him, not really wanting to leave, and fighting every instinct to lay down and go back to sleep - but, he knew he couldn't do that. He had to take the chance to talk to Dean while Adam was asleep, even if he wasn't quite ready for whatever the hunter might have to say. He just wanted him to know that he really meant no harm to them, or otherwise.

It was going to be a lot harder than it sounded, he knew.

Giving in, Michael stretched out a bit and pushed himself to stand, fighting against the lingering exhaustion and shaking his head back and forth as he struggled to make some sense of the thoughts jumbling in his brain, disjointed and mingled. It was something he was long used to by now, his own voice along with Adam's singing along in his head, mixing and intertwining, but they were easier to pick out. It was only when he was first waking up did his identity blur, and the line between him and Adam became less clear; They were basically already one person, two halves of the same whole, anyway, and nothing would change that, the archangel was sure - and the feeling wasn't one Michael could complain about, either - but the mornings were toughest on him, as his own identity, _Adam's _identity, were forgotten in a horrible, twisted blur, at least for those few short seconds.

The archangel recovered quick enough, though; He blinked the rest of the heaviness from his eyes, rubbing them a few times just for good measure before slowly, hesitantly, bringing himself up to take control. He grimaced a little at the feeling, being in complete control - so _unnatural_, he despised it, to be completely honest - but he shook it off and pushed himself to sit up, sighing.

Michael looked up, slowly flicking his gaze around the room. There wasn't much to look at; Aside from the bed, a dresser, and a stand beside the bed, the room was empty. The archangel sighed a little, rubbing a hand down his head and turning, bringing his legs up over the side of the bed and slowly pushing himself to stand. He grimaced at the rush of nausea, as well as the dizziness that rose up the second his feet hit the ground, and brought himself forward to grab onto the dresser, just enough to steady himself as he straightened, inhaled, and turned.

He stared at the door for a long moment, another rush of nausea rising, settling in the pit of his stomach and threatening to make home; He licked his lips and swallowed, doing his best to push it down - even though that ended up making it worse - and forced himself forward. Every part of him ached to resist, but he fought it back and opened the door, stepping out into the hallway and turning to pull the door shut behind him. Aside from the noise he was making, the bunker was silent - and eerily so - and his heart both leaped and dropped at the thought that it was empty, and that maybe the hunters had gone to run an errand of some sort.

He hesitated, glancing down both ends of the hallway before heading off, a little confused as to where to go, which direction to turn - the bunker was very… well, very _large_, and much like the hallways of Hell, he was certainly not accustomed to being there - and, thus, it would be easy to get lost in the unfamiliar place. He must have picked the right direction, though, because he found himself in the main room, much to his relief. And, also much to his relief - and his confusion - it was empty. The archangel went still for a moment, looking around the room slowly, wide eyes taking in the open, empty beer bottles on the table, the caps scattered around. The chairs were pushed in, though, which made Michael wonder, again, whether there was anybody there or not. After a moment of just lingering in the doorway, he took a few steps forward.

At that same moment, the door opened upstairs; Michael tensed for a second, both hoping it was Dean and praying that it wasn't, and he didn't know how to feel when it was Castiel that entered, walking down the stairs and mumbling under his breath with a half-pissed off look on his face, shoving something in his pocket - his phone, Michael thought, recalling what he'd heard from the humans in the school but he didn't get a good enough look at it to tell. His brother stopped short upon seeing him, eyebrows raising slightly as he blinked, but he was quicker to speak than Michael was. "Good morning."

"Morning…" Michael trailed off, shifting a little on his feet. Castiel looked down for a moment, heading over to the table - and, huffing, he began gathering up the beer bottles. After a while, standing there awkwardly, the archangel stepped forward to help, gathering the caps into the palm of his hand and staring at them curiously for a moment, before looking back up at Castiel. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," Castiel mumbled, picking up the last bottle. After a few seconds, though, hesitating, the angel shook his head and grumbled out a quiet "no" before he turned away, heading for the kitchen. Michael stepped around the table and followed after him quickly, following the other angel's lead and dumping the bottle caps into the trash can beside the doorway after Castiel had dumped the bottles in. "It's nothing. Just…"

"Dean?" Michael offered carefully, watching him. Castiel grimaced a little and turned, nodding once toward the archangel, and Michael frowned. "Where is he?"

"He and Sam went shopping, I believe," Castiel sighed, brushing past him to leave the kitchen. Michael frowned a little bit, but he fell silent for a moment, turning to watch the other angel go and furrowing his eyebrows together slightly, shifting back and forth on his feet before taking in a deep, unsteady breath and following, unsure what to do now. Castiel was sifting through the bookshelves now, mumbling to himself - before pulling out an angel blade.

Michael stopped short, blinking at it. He hadn't seen one of those in a very, very long time, and looking at it now, it felt even weirder. The archangel furrowed his eyebrows, flicking his eyes back to Castiel's face. "What, um- What are you doing?" He asked, a little hesitantly - having a feeling he knew the answer, and yet, certain that he wasn't going to like it either.

"I still haven't found Belphegor." Castiel turned to face him, tucking the angel blade into his sleeve. "Every second he remains, wherever he may be, in Jack's body…" The angel clenched his teeth, raising his head slightly. "Jack deserves to be laid to rest properly, not to have some demon parading around in his corpse."

"It's-" Michael stopped himself short, biting down hard on his tongue, and screwed his eyes shut for a good few seconds. Finally, he managed a small nod and turned away again, bringing one hand up over his mouth and passing the other one over his head as he let his breath out in a low, shaky sigh. A regular old angel blade wasn't going to work on Lucifer, and Michael knew this, but the thought of his brother being hunted down… he hated it. He genuinely hated it. And even worse, was the idea of what might happen if both of them ended up in some kind of fight - Lucifer would come out victorious, for sure, but Michael didn't want Castiel harmed any more than he wanted Lucifer harmed.

The archangel closed his eyes for a moment, pressing his fist against his mouth. He wanted to say something, but he had a feeling that telling him that it was Lucifer, and not a demon, that was possessing Jack wouldn't make Castiel feel any better. If anything, it would make things worse. For both of his brothers. He hated it, having the weight of this secret on his shoulders.

He jumped, feeling Castiel's hand touch his shoulder - the second he did, Castiel had turned back, and he looked for all the world like he was kicking himself by the time Michael turned around to face him, as if he had done something awful. The archangel frowned, but Castiel was already speaking before Michael could say anything, searching his brother's face carefully with a frown. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Michael managed, his voice wavering slightly. He swallowed, looking away for a moment, wishing Adam was there. The demon hated lying, but he was a lot more steady than Michael was, a lot more convincing, when he had to be. The archangel looked down for a moment, struggling past the panic that was rising in his chest. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Castiel said, sounding puzzled. "You've done nothing wrong."

Michael only huffed out a laugh and cleared his throat, forcing himself to straighten up. These days, it felt like everything was all wrong. And it was easiest to feel like that without Adam there. Instead, he only mumbled a half-hearted, somewhat unintelligible agreement, passing his hand over his head again before simply wrapping his arms around himself. Castiel reached up again, his hand hovering over Michael's shoulder, not quite touching. Michael glanced over, but he didn't move - and, after a moment, Castiel hesitantly lowered his hand again, squeezing the archangel's shoulder lightly, reassuringly; Despite his aversion to most physical contact, Michael almost found himself leaning into the touch, a mixture of grounding and comforting.

"I'm sorry, brother," Castiel was mumbling, and Michael fought his way back to the present, glancing over at the other angel in confusion. "If I had known- if I had known…"

Michael just stared at him, confusion flickering across his face, and, after a moment, Castiel sighed and looked away from the archangel. "Known what?" He asked, bewildered, but the other angel didn't respond. Finally, sighing, he pulled his hand off of Michael's shoulder with one last, gentle squeeze, and stepped back again, brushing his trenchcoat off and looking over his shoulder, toward the stairs.

"I should go." Castiel paused, glancing back at him. "Will you be… alright here alone?"

His brother's concern took Michael by surprise, in all honesty - but it was welcome all the same. Warming, even, the realization that even after everything that had happened, Castiel… cared. It was an odd thought, considering everything they had been through, the things Michael had done, Castiel's rebellion - but it brought a smile to his face despite himself, the archangel bringing his eyes from Castiel to the stairs, and then back to his brother, taking a deep breath and offering a small nod in response. "We'll be okay, Castiel," he murmured. "You can go."

"I'll be back soon. Sam and Dean should be arriving any minute, as well," Castiel sighed, stepping away and turning, heading back for the stairs. Michael only nodded slightly in response, watching him carefully. It was only when the angel had gotten halfway up the stairs, did Michael bring himself to speak, hesitant but desperate all the same.

"Good luck." It was quiet, reluctant, but genuine. He was still so torn, so confused, so split between both of his brothers, and while, of course, he would rather keep them apart, rather _not _have Castiel find Lucifer… Castiel needed someone to be there for him, too. In any way, however small, the angel needed _someone_, and he was Michael's brother, too. One that he had wronged almost as much as he had wronged Lucifer, and one just as worthy of justice.

Castiel paused, looking over at him. Faint surprised flickered across his face, just for a second, before he gave nothing more than a small nod and continued on his way up the stairs. Michael watched him until he disappeared, hearing the door open and shut behind his brother as he left.

The archangel closed his eyes for a moment, tilting his head downwards, and wrapped his arms around himself just a little bit tighter, a half-hearted attempt to hold himself together.

He stayed like that for quite some time, not sure what he was waiting for first; Whether for Adam to wake up, or for Sam and Dean to arrive. The demon stayed asleep, however, seemingly more worn out from the day with Sam and the spat with Dean than Michael had been, and so, when the door opened, Michael once more felt his heart sink down from his chest to his stomach. It pulled every muscle in his body taut with anxiety, his heart skipping a few beats as he slowly let his gaze trail up. The first one to come into view was Sam, carrying an armful of bags. He smiled at Michael the second he saw him, coming down the stairs, and Michael could only manage a shaky smile back in response before his eyes snapped back to the top of the stairs. The smile wavered, faltered, and vanished the second Dean appeared, with bags of his own.

The hunter spared them one glance, and his eyes hardened ever so slightly as he followed after his brother. Michael opened his mouth slightly, as if to say something, but Dean had slid past Sam, and in just a few simple strides, he had disappeared into the kitchen. Sam, meanwhile, spared a slightly desperate look after his brother, and an apologetic look in Michael's direction. The archangel just snapped his mouth shut and sighed, biting his tongue.

"You hungry?" Sam asked as he passed, and Michael blinked a few times, taking a second to register what the hunter had asked him before he managed to respond.

"Oh- no, not me, thank you," he assured quickly, and Sam barely missed a beat, giving one short, simple nod in response before he followed his brother into the kitchen. Michael rocked back a little on his feet, unsure whether to follow or not, whether to help - but he stood absolutely still, the anxiety pounding at his chest, seeming to tighten with every passing second, and every beat of his heart was nothing but painful. The archangel eventually looked away from the kitchen, silently willing Adam to wake up, desperate for the demon's company - but he was silent, still asleep, and it took just about everything Michael had not to retreat to a corner of his mind and just curl up until Adam had woken up again.

He stood still until Dean left the kitchen, beer bottle in hand. Without looking at him, the hunter had already turned to leave the room, presumably to head back to his own. Michael stood still, practically holding his breath, watching as he disappeared into the hallway. His chest was hurting by then, aching from the anxiety, the panic that was crushing against him. And then, finally, in an abrupt, split-second decision, the archangel turned and took a few steps forward. "Um- uh- D-" He took a deep breath and stepped into the hallway, finally bringing up the courage to call after the hunter. "Dean?"

Dean stopped short, every muscle in his body seeming to tense. He turned his head, just slightly, to the side, and Michael was once again holding his breath in those few seconds of silence. Then, just as the archangel thought that the hunter was about to just ignore him and continue walking, Dean turned to face him, head raised, jaw set. "Yeah."

Michael didn't know whether he was relieved or all the more anxious, but it seemed to settle into something somewhere in between. The archangel ran his tongue over his lips, his fingers digging into his own sides now, pressing hard enough until he could finally feel his own hands pressing close to him, until he could feel his arms wrapped around himself, just enough to bring his mind back to the present. "I…" Michael stopped, swallowed, and tried again, "I'm sorry."

Dean just stared at him, one eyebrow raising ever so slightly, but other than that, he was as stoic as ever. Like a statue of marble, emotionless, stone-cold. "Is this Adam talking?"

"No, I-" Michael flinched a little despite himself when Dean nodded, and turned away again, ready to leave. The archangel stepped forward, desperation gripping him like claws made of ice. "Wait, _please_," he begged, and Dean stopped again, but he didn't turn. "Please," the archangel said again, breathless, pained. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry- for- for everything I did. And- And for everything that the other me did. I can't take any of that back, I can't…" Michael faltered, desperation turning into hopelessness. "I can't make it right…"

"Okay." Dean's voice was as cold as ever, still not turning around. "So what do you want?"

"Want…?" Michael blinked a few times at that, his eyes flickering back up to the hunter. After a moment, still hesitating, he managed to take one slight, reluctant, slow step forward. He didn't want to cross the distance between them completely, for Dean's sake more than his own - he wasn't scared of the hunter, nor was he scared of hurting him, but he didn't want to make him any more uncomfortable than he likely already was. "I want- I want… Adam to be happy."

Dean's head twitched slightly, and, finally, the hunter had turned to face him again. A flicker of confusion had crossed his face, but along with it was a sense of disbelieving wariness, eyes still cold as he narrowed his eyes at the archangel. "Really?"

Michael offered him a helpless look in response, not knowing what else to say, how to _convince _the hunter. He stood there for a moment, just staring back at Dean as the hunter's blank, unforgiving eyes stared back into his own, not swayed at all, not by the words or the expression of pained desperation flickering across the archangel's face. He stood, at a loss for words, every response he wanted to give seeming to fail him completely.

"Listen," Dean suddenly spoke, and Michael flinched a little in surprise despite himself, as the hunter took a few steps toward him. "Maybe that shit works on Adam, but like I've said before, I've been down this road. Done this dance a million times already. Now, you can pretend to care - you can keep your little act up around Sam and Adam all you want, but don't think for a _second _that I don't know what's really going on here."

Michael didn't really know what to say to that, and furthermore, he couldn't open his mouth, feeling completely frozen from the pain that had rushed through him at those words. Dean just stared back, eyes narrowing slightly, searching the archangel's gaze, as if he was looking for something specific - and seeming frustrated, as he did so, as if he wasn't seeing what he wanted, what he was expecting. "I don't…" The archangel faltered, voice breaking slightly. In response, Dean's eyebrows rose faintly, his face twitching, the cold mask giving way to a bit more confusion. Michael winced faintly, struggling to pull himself together again before he spoke up again. "I don't… I don't _understand."_

"Oh, _come _on," Dean snapped, his expression cold again, words sharp and harsh; Michael flinched, yet again, and felt even worse. How many times in the span of just a few minutes, had a _human _made him flinch? The archangel was almost cowering, and he was doing so before Dean Winchester, his true vessel, a hunter - but still a human, and nothing more. "You know damn well what you're doing. You're just using him. You're-"

"What?" Michael uttered, not meaning to interrupt the hunter, but too stunned by that to keep his mouth shut. Now, _that_, he definitely didn't understand. He couldn't even begin to fathom, to understand - what did he _mean_, using him? "Are you-" Every muscle in the archangel's body tensed up, eyes going wide when he finally realized what the hunter meant by those words. "Are you talking about Adam?"

"Who else?" Dean retorted, his fury not fading a bit. Michael could only stare now, wide-eyed with confusion and disbelief, as the hunter continued. "I don't understand _why_, why you're playing with him like this, what you're using him for, but _come on_. I wasn't born yesterday," the hunter spat. "And you angels, you're all the same. You play your little games, you put on your little act, and everyone else be damned, you-"

"Does that include Castiel?" Michael blurted out before he could stop himself, and, in turn, he watched Dean recoil, shoulders jerking back, eyes sharpening.

"Excuse me?"

Michael blinked, swallowed, and fell silent for a moment. But it was too late to turn back now, he couldn't take back what he'd said and he couldn't just walk away. It took a few moments to bring up the courage to respond, and even then, his voice shook slightly as he did. "Castiel. He's an angel, too, and… he rebelled, for- for you. He- He turned on his family, his _home_, for you. He _died. _For _you._" He continued to hesitate, as Dean only stared, fury and confusion mixing in his eyes. "Are you going to stand there and tell me that- that what he did was a game? An- An act?" A small spark of confidence had been lit, but it was hardly enough to spark a flame in the archangel. "All of that, some sort of long-term manipulation? Some grand act of deceit? What…" He hesitated, eyebrows furrowing. "What would be the point?"

Dean didn't seem to have a response to that. He only stared at Michael, that cold mask seeming to finally break apart, little by little, piece by piece. "What's _your _point?" He finally demanded.

Michael faltered, and hesitated, struggling to word what he wanted to say. "... You wouldn't fault all of humanity for the actions of one," he finally managed, careful. "Humans- humans continue to make mistake after mistake, they… they murder, and steal, and they hurt. But that's only a fraction. The rest- they're innocent." He kept his mouth open for a moment, his lower jaw trembling slightly, his chest pounding with the pain, the anxiety, the confusion. "Why hold all angels accountable for the actions of others?"

The hunter was silent, now, his frustration seeming to have returned tenfold.

Michael continued to hesitate for a few moments further before he brought up the nerve to speak again. "Why fault… me… for the actions of another?" At this, Dean's eyes narrowed. But he didn't seem as hostile, as angry, just… wary. Distrusting.

Finally, the hunter spoke again, cold as ever - and yet, resigned. "Because you're him. You're from this universe, sure, and maybe it's different on the surface. But you're still him." Dean's eyes flicked back up, the stone-cold expression returning as he seemed to reassure himself of this knowledge, and Michael faltered. For a second there, he had actually thought he might have gotten through to the hunter - but those walls were back up, and they seemed nothing short of unbreakable. "You're still a monster."

Michael winced, and he watched Dean's expression change in turn, frustrated confusion breaking through the mask. In the next instant, though, Dean had turned away, and Michael had long dropped his gaze from the hunter's, silent and helpless once more as Dean simply turned around and continued on his way down the hallway.

The archangel hesitated, clenched his teeth, and flicked his gaze back up again. "Maybe I am."

Dean stopped again, this time with his hand on the doorknob to his room. He turned his head, blinking slightly in faint surprise, but his expression froze over with that same hostility, same distrust, as the hunter narrowed his eyes at the archangel. "What?"

"Maybe-" Michael's voice faltered, and he took a second to compose himself, desperate to do so, before he continued on, "maybe I am… a monster," he managed to get the words out, despite the fact that his throat was closing up tighter and tighter with each passing second. "But you're wrong- you're wrong about one thing."

Dean quirked an eyebrow, but he said nothing.

"I _do _care about Adam." The archangel sucked in a deep, shaky breath, and held it for a few seconds before he went on. "I want him to be happy, I want him to be safe. I want what's best for him, and that is all I will ever want, and-" Michael's breathing hitched slightly, teeth clenching even further as he swallowed, hard. Dean just stared at him, the hostility in his expression giving way to confusion once more, but this time there was no frustration accompanying it. "I want him to forgive you and Sam because I want him to finally be able to move on from the rage, and the _hatred, _that has been building up inside of him for the past ten years. And I want that for him so much that I'm here, talking to you, facing the hunter who killed my brother. The hunter that has been nothing - _nothing _but cold to the both of us ever since we've arrived."

Dean's expression flickered, but he didn't speak, he only glanced away, seeming unable to hold the archangel's gaze now.

Michael fell silent, as well, at least long enough to steady himself as much as was possible before he finally dared to continue. "I _am _sorry, but I don't… I don't know how much more I can apologize, or what else I can _say_. But I know that Adam deserves to be able to forgive _both _of his brothers, for his own sake, not yours. And I am asking you- I am _begging _you, whatever you might have against me, I don't _care_ \- but don't deprive him of that chance. He doesn't deserve that, and especially not from you."

Silence met his words; Dean wasn't looking at him now, eyes fixed firmly on the ground. But, finally, when he realized that the archangel had seemingly finished speaking, the hunter glanced up, green eyes holding Michael's gaze briefly. And he offered nothing more than a blank - "okay" - before he turned away again, pushing the door to his room open, and walked in. Michael just stared, not relaxing until he saw and heard the door shutting behind the hunter.

Michael just blinked once and stared at the door, not sure what to think now. Had that gone good? Bad? Had he gotten through to the hunter? He had thought so, before, but he had been wrong - so he didn't want to assume anything yet. The archangel exhaled and turned, jumping slightly as he did so - because Sam was standing there, leaning against the wall and staring past Michael, after Dean, a faint frown on his face. The hunter looked up, however, when Michael turned to face him - and, after a moment, a small, sympathetic smile tugged at his lips.

"Just give him some time, bud," the hunter advised quietly, shouldering himself away from the wall. Michael couldn't speak, he couldn't even nod - he just stared. Sam sighed, brushing past them - but not before clasping his hand over Michael's shoulder, giving a small squeeze. Despite himself, the archangel flinched again, only relaxing when Sam's hand lifted once more.

He waited until he heard the door open and shut again, as Sam entered Dean's room - presumably to check on him - before he moved, shuffling forward and heading back into the main room. Every part of him ached from the inside to the outside, every muscle in his body too tense, too stiff. He felt dizzy, he felt sick, he felt scared - he felt broken.

Sitting down, he put his head in his hands and screwed his eyes shut and waited, for the one person in the world who could put him back together again.


	36. Chapter 36

Adam awoke with Michael beside him, curled up in the corner of Lilith's chamber with his head buried into his arms, knees curled up to his chest. For a moment, the demon could only stare, not quite awake enough to feel any concern - mostly just confusion, as to why the archangel was sitting like that, all curled in on himself and in the corner. He considered the possibility that he was asleep, and had simply passed out in that position - and then Michael twitched, sighed, and raised his head again, eyes drifting over to Adam, relief sparking up in his gaze. "M'awake."

"... mornin'," Adam responded, somewhat awkwardly, still far too tired to function right then. The demon groaned a little and rolled onto his back, wincing slightly as he did so - he was so _stiff_, how long had he been asleep? Michael just watched him carefully, lowering his knees from his chest and stretching them out in front of him instead. "How long were you sitting there?" Adam glanced over, eyeing Michael carefully. "And, uh, why…?"

"I spoke to Dean," Michael murmured.

Adam blinked, mouth opening, then slowly snapping shut again. His eyes hardened ever so slightly, taking in the archangel's expression with extra intensity now, searching his gaze. He just looked tired - but both physically and emotionally. And, yes, that kind of pissed Adam off. He didn't like the way the hunter had spoken to Michael before, and he hadn't been there to defend him today - so he was both kicking himself and ready to kick Dean where the sun didn't shine. "So should I go straight for the kill or torture him a little first?"

Michael gave him a look, pushing himself forward a little and wrapping his arms around himself as he leaned forward and looked away, eyes drifting toward the memory of his brothers and himself, still singing to the box in the chamber. Adam turned his head slightly to watch, too, the harmonic voices distracting him only for a second before Michael's voice cut through again. "I don't know what else I can do," he sounded almost defeated. "I'm sorry, Adam."

"You're not the problem here, halo," Adam told him simply, letting his head fall back against the floor. He raised his gaze to the ceiling for a moment, then closed his eyes. "Lemme see."

It took a moment for Michael to bring the memory up, but Adam just waited in silence. He watched it all the way through, beginning to end, from the start of the conversation to the end. A bit of anger flared up when Dean called Michael a monster again - and if he could hurt a memory, he would have - but he had faltered along with his brother by the time the archangel had finished his speech. And, he had to admit, he was a little surprised when Dean still turned his back on Michael; Adam didn't think he would have had the willpower to do that. Not when it came to the archangel - not when it came to those wide, desperate, pleading eyes.

The demon blinked his eyes open when the memory had ended, and Michael sank back against the wall yet again, exhausted simply from reliving the memory. Adam looked over at him for a few seconds, crossing his arms under his head and falling absolutely silent, thinking. Finally, though, he spoke, an odd tone entering his voice. "Do you want to leave?"

Michael blinked, looking startled by that, and lifted his gaze back from the floor to the demon once again. "What?" He stared, eyes going wide, as he responded quickly, "I- if _you _want me to leave, I will- I mean- I _have_ to, there are rules, but- I don't-"

"Whoa, whoa, _chill_," Adam insisted, huffing out a sigh and rolling his eyes slightly at the archangel - because, really, if Michael didn't know by now that the demon literally needed him around to be able to function on a day-to-day basis… - and putting his hands behind him slightly in order to heave himself up a little, sitting up slightly and propping himself up on his hands. "That's not what I meant, man. I meant, like… do you want to leave. Them. The bunker."

The amount of confusion that flitted across Michael's face was nearly indescribable. "I thought…" The archangel flicked his gaze over Adam's face carefully, searching for something. "I thought things were going well- with- with Sam, at least? Why would you want to leave?" At this, Adam gave him a deadpan look, and Michael's eyes widened as the realization set in. "Oh- _Adam_, no," he insisted, "no, no, no, this is what I was afraid of, of getting in the way and you leaving them and giving up because of _me_."

"Well, I'm sorry, Michael, but it's either you or them," Adam retorted, shifting to lean his weight on one of his hands to raise the other, rubbing at his eyes with a sigh. "And, I mean, hell, that's not even really anything I need to consider. And being here- dealing with _that_, that's not good for you. And it's not good with me."

Michael blinked at him, falling silent for a good few seconds. Finally, though, with a sigh, the archangel had sank back against the wall again, letting his head fall back against it. "If _you _want to leave… then we can. That's up to you," the archangel finally managed, sighing. "But I don't want to leave because you think it's what _I _want, or because you think _I'm _uncomfortable. I just…" He looked over at Adam, and the demon raised an eyebrow slightly, just gazing at him. "Don't give up on them because of me."

Adam sighed, narrowing his eyes at the archangel. He was too selfless for his own good, and it was getting to the point where it was… well, extremely concerning. But this was what Michael wanted, at least, he had said it himself - and he knew it would only make the archangel feel worse if Adam did decide to leave anyway. So, either way… lose-lose situation. Hissing, the demon let himself fall back onto the floor, scowling as he turned his head away from Michael. "Next time he says something even remotely passive-aggressive, I'm ripping his throat out."

"No you're not-" Michael started, and sighed when Adam interrupted.

"Try me, bitch."

Michael gave him an amused look in response, but he didn't say anything else. Finally, though, after a good few seconds, Adam let out a groan and pushed himself to sit up. Michael watched, silent, as the demon leaned forward, then somewhat reluctantly moved to stand. He wavered a bit on his feet, unsteady - and, in turn, Michael had stood along with him, grabbing his arm with one hand and steadying them both against the wall. Adam didn't say anything, didn't look at him, but he let a tiny bit of gratitude curl up in his chest - and the archangel returned the unspoken "thank you" with a rush of warmth in response.

They rose up to take control as one, no words spoken. Michael winced a little almost immediately, neck and back stiff from the way he had left them in the chair - leaned over the table, head in their arms. Adam didn't really care, though, despite the uncomfortable position; The demon just pushed them both to sit up straight with nothing more than a quiet grunt, flexing his arms slightly before straightening up to stretch, while Michael brought their arms up over their head.

Sam was sitting across from them, once more scrolling through his laptop, but the hunter looked up the second they sat up. Adam glanced at his brother, quirking an eyebrow in a silent greeting, while Michael dropped their arms back to their sides and sighed. "Hey."

"Mm…" Adam only hummed quietly in greeting, while Michael managed a tiny, if not awkward smile. The demon just studied his brother for a moment, eyes narrowing ever so slightly, just for a few seconds. Not quite hostile - no, he had long gotten past that point, he had to admit. It had surprised even him, for the first few seconds in which he'd realized that he didn't… well, _hate _his brother as much as he had used to. Hell, he wasn't even _angry_ at that point. The guy irritated him sometimes, but even Michael irritated him a little every now and again. But other than that, he didn't exactly feel anything else toward his older half-brother, either…

A part of him ached to remind himself why he had hated Sam in the first place, but at the same time, he didn't want to - why would he? He didn't want to be angry. And yet, he was still so torn, because _not _being angry just felt… wrong. The demon shook his head a little, frustrated, and brought his focus back to Sam. Michael was staring at the hunter curiously, watching as Sam ate something out of a bowl - upon closer inspection, Adam realized that it was a salad.

_He's eating leaves, _Michael said after a moment, simple and bewildered and _innocent_, and before Adam could stop himself, he had started laughing. Sam paused mid-chew, looking up at them curiously, as the demon just clasped a hand over their mouth and let out a few more muffled chuckles. Michael had joined in a little despite himself, and despite the confusion swirling in his chest, there was also a large amount of warmth now.

It took a little while for Adam to calm down again, keeping their hand covering their mouth for a good few seconds before slowly lowering it again. "Those aren't- _leaves_, Michael," the demon gasped, and the archangel's confusion strengthened further, but the amusement did, as well. Sam, meanwhile, now had a look of realization settling across his face, and he looked equally amused and bewildered as he looked at them, then down at the salad he was eating.

"Uh, no. Not technically," the hunter chuckled a little as he lowered his fork, looking amused. "Contrary to popular beliefs, I'm not a rabbit." At this, Adam almost started laughing again, but he managed to stifle it. Michael just tilted their head, confusion returning, at least until Sam pointed the fork at the salad. "It's, uh, lettuce. Which, I mean, could be considered leaves, but it's more of a plant in itself." Adam nodded, ever so slightly, while Michael just mumbled a quiet "ohh" as the hunter further clarified, "people use it for salads, sandwiches- it's… food."

"I see," Michael said slowly, though Adam could tell he was still slightly confused, and that only made the demon want to laugh even more. He didn't, though, just rolled their eyes slightly and shook their head with a very faint, barely noticeable smile.

"Want a salad now…" The demon mumbled under his breath, and while he didn't miss the slightly confused look that flickered across Sam's face, he wasn't too concerned about it. After a moment, thinking, Adam gave a short nod and pushed their chair back a little bit to stand. Michael quirked an eyebrow slightly, a mixture of curious and amused, while Sam just tilted his head ever so slightly at his younger half-brother. "I'ma go make a salad."

"I didn't know you liked salad," Sam replied curiously, and Adam shrugged.

"Learn something new every day." The demon paused, looking around, then jerked his thumb in the direction of the kitchen - or at least, what he figured was the kitchen. "That's the kitchen, yeah?" Sam nodded, opening his mouth as if to speak, but Adam simply turned and headed off before the hunter could respond further, despite Michael's internal protests. "You're a really annoying conscience, you know," the demon grumbled dryly as he entered the kitchen, and Michael offered a small snort in response.

"Someone has to be," he responded, good-naturedly, and Adam huffed out a surprised laugh.

"Touche', douche'."

It took the demon a moment to figure out his way around the kitchen, more or less struggling to figure out where everything was. But, when he finally managed to get everything figured out for the most part, he set to work; Salads were always fun to make when he was a human. Sure, he liked all of the good stuff - burgers, bacon, fast food. But, as a pre-med student, and with his mother being a nurse, he also had an appreciation for healthier things. He remembered, she would buy him all sorts of fruits and vegetables, and teach him how to mix them in with the things he liked to eat when she had the time. Veggie burgers were one of his favorites, chicken and vegetable soup…

For just a moment, Adam faltered. Just a moment.

… _Adam? _Michael asked quietly, and the demon shook himself out of his thoughts quickly. That hadn't happened before - he hadn't thought of his mother in a very, very long time. And he didn't want to start now.

Setting his jaw, Adam turned away and started putting stuff back, having already finished making his salad. Lettuce, tomatoes and cheese covered in French dressing; And yet, as much as he wanted it, a part of him had also completely lost his appetite. "M'fine, halo," he muttered begrudgingly when the archangel continued to press, and, while most certainly not satisfied with that answer, Michael seemed to understand that Adam just didn't want to talk about it. At least not right then. The demon took in a deep breath and turned, grabbing the bowl and searching around for a fork before he had back into the main room, taking a bite on the way.

He felt a lot better once he had entered - and raised an eyebrow upon seeing that Sam had disappeared from the table, laptop still open, his own salad only half-eaten. The demon spared a look toward the laptop screen as he passed, but it wasn't anything interesting like porn - just some kind of news article. Adam rolled his eyes and took his seat at the table again.

_Are you okay? _Michael asked suddenly after a few moments of silence. Adam paused mid-chew, and swallowed hard, looking up for a second. He was already halfway through the salad, appetite regained the moment he had started eating - go figure, he had missed salads just as much as everything else. The demon sighed.

"I told you, I'm fine," Adam insisted, and the archangel didn't respond for a good few seconds, almost hesitant. The demon narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, then, with another, defeated sigh this time, he gave in, deciding to set his poor body-buddy some slack. "I am. Really. Just started thinking about things that I'd rather _not _think about okay?" He raised an eyebrow, and Michael, while silent, gave a faint nod of understanding. "Just… relax. I'm good."

"Okay," Michael relented, finally satisfied that, whether he had been before or not, the demon was as alright as he was capable of being now. Adam nodded once, satisfied, himself, and turned back to what he was doing, ready to take another bite. Only to pause, looking up, when Sam entered the room again, this time holding something - a book, by the looks of it.

Adam stared, torn between the food and his own curiosity - he chose curiosity. Putting the fork back down, he leaned forward a little, trying to catch a glimpse at the cover of the book - but it was blank. The book, itself, was leather-bound, brown, with a latch sealing it shut. Papers and pamphlets were spilling out from the edges; It was a journal, not a book, and Adam had many, many mixed feelings about that - whereas Michael was just curious.

"That your diary, princess?" Adam asked sweetly as Sam sat down, and the hunter spared him a _look_, half-amused and half-exasperated, though he seemed to have been expecting something of the sort - either that or he had just heard it many, many times before from others.

Michael just sighed, but he didn't bother to scold him.

"No. Not mine." Sam turned the journal around to face Adam and put it down on the table, sliding it over to him, much to the demon's surprise. "It was Dad's." Before the demon had time to respond at all, the hunter continued hurriedly, "I don't know how you feel about him now, and I know you weren't exactly, uh, fond of him before, but - I don't know, I thought you might like reading through, since you seem to like reading about monsters. It's got some information on hunts he's been on before - hell, Dean and I have added some things, ourselves."

Despite himself, Adam had to admit that he was tempted, solely because the journal apparently contained information about monsters. He wasn't sure why he _was _so interested in learning about things like that, as he never had been before - but, hell, maybe it was just being a demon. Being one of the _things_, making him curious about the others.

"Mm…" Adam stared down at the journal for a moment, considering.

_Could be interesting, _Michael encouraged him, and Adam raised an eyebrow. _I mean, hey - maybe if you learn enough, we can go on a hunt with them one of these days. _

Okay, he had to admit, that was a somewhat tempting thought, though the demon wasn't sure how he felt about that, either. Regardless, he reached out and placed a hand over the journal, pulling it just a little bit closer to him and sparing his older half-brother an odd look. "A'ght. Cool," he grunted, the closest thing to a "thank you" that Sam was going to get, and the hunter only smiled back ever so slightly in response before he turned away, back to his laptop and food. After a moment of staring, the demon turned his attention back to his own food, sparing a glance at the journal every now and again, but not moving to read it yet.

They were all silent, then, as they continued to eat; Sam was scrolling through his laptop again and Adam finally flipped the book open. He skipped ahead a few pages, not really caring about the first few entries, only slowing down when he finally reached the parts about monsters. He wouldn't admit it, either, but the drawings were actually impressive.

However, they all looked up when Dean entered; The hunter simply passed through to the kitchen, still not looking at anybody, and Sam had only spared a slight glance after him in return before rooting his gaze right back to the laptop. Adam wasn't too interested, but Michael stared after the oldest Winchester with a deep frown written across their face, before the demon managed to redirect their attention back to the journal. _Don't waste your time on him, asshole._

Silent as ever, Michael just frowned a little deeper and fell silent. Adam sighed, but, knowing there wasn't much he could do to console the archangel on that front, he flipped a page and continued reading, trying to distract Michael by pointing out another one of the drawings. It worked, if only for a second, before their attention was once more redirected to Dean, who ducked out of the kitchen with a beer in his hand.

Adam raised an eyebrow, ready to look back down, but even he paused when, instead of heading back to his own room, the hunter stopped, glanced down the hall, then abruptly turned and walked over to them. No words were spoken, despite the surprised glance Sam threw their brother's way, and the stare Adam and Michael were currently giving the hunter; Dean just pulled a chair out beside Sam and sat down, popping the top off of his bottle in complete silence and taking a long sip.

"... and over here, we see a Dickhead emerging from its lair," Adam piped up after a good few seconds - causing Sam to promptly choke on his salad - and Dean merely spared a glance up. Michael immediately began chiding the demon, anxiety rising up in their chest as the archangel struggled to reign him back in; And, so, driven to say even more now that Michael was trying to get him to stop, he continued with a slow smirk, "finally come out of hibernation at last. Are you tired of hiding out in the Douche Temple, or is it mating season?"

Dean took another sip before he responded, lowering the bottle back to the table and looking Adam right in the eyes. "Both." And Sam choked again, but this time it was because he was trying to laugh and eat at the same time.

Michael paused, blinked, and retreated a little bit upon realizing that a fight wasn't about to break out, at least not right then. Adam, not really having much of a response to that, as he hadn't been _expecting _an answer, much less the one he had gotten, just stared at Dean for a moment longer, raised his eyebrows, and nodded slowly before turning his attention back to his own food and the journal, flipping a page and taking a bite in silence.

_Maybe I did get through to him… _The archangel's voice cut into his thoughts, and Adam only gave a slight hum of agreement as he scanned a page in the journal - something about… wendigos, which actually looked kind of interesting. Whatever, he didn't really care either way, whether Michael had gotten through to Dean or not; Even if he hadn't, as long as the hunter was done spitting insults at the archangel, then he wasn't going to rip his throat out. So.

"What'cha got?" Dean asked after a moment, his question directed toward Sam, who turned the laptop toward the other hunter in response. Dean leaned forward to read whatever was on the screen, and, after a few seconds, Adam turned back to what he was doing, uninterested.

And, so, he was able to read a little bit more, easily getting through half the journal before the door opened. The demon sighed, irritated, ready to just take the salad and journal back to their room, while Michael looked over toward the stairs. Dean turned slightly in his seat, and Sam spared nothing more than a glance upwards before turning away again, typing rapidly on the laptop, as the door shut again and Castiel appeared, walking down the stairs with a frown.

"Hey, Cas," Sam mumbled without looking up, and Castiel opened his mouth slightly to respond, eyes darting toward Dean, as he ventured further into the room.

"Sam." The angel paused, his blue eyes flickering briefly over the hunter's face, before he cleared his throat. "Dean." Castiel's gaze strayed over to Adam and Michael, and he nodded faintly toward them when the archangel raised a hand to wave over at him, while the demon just narrowed their eyes ever so slightly, his irritation growing with each second.

"Where you been?" Dean asked suddenly, and Castiel's eyes widened ever so slightly in obvious surprise as he looked back over at the hunter. Michael blinked, while Adam only quirked an eyebrow ever so slightly in his older half-brother's direction before he looked away again, redirecting his attention back to the journal, despite Michael's slight glances up every now and again.

"Searching for Belphegor," the angel sounded almost dismissive - Adam's grip tightened around his fork, as he had lifted it to his mouth to take another bite - as he braved himself enough to continue into the room, pulling out one of the chairs and taking a seat carefully. "Actually, that's why I came back. I was tracking a new power source - but it wasn't Belphegor." An odd tone entered Castiel's voice. "Do either of you remember Jesse Turner?"

Adam didn't react, but Michael did. The archangel snapped their head up at once, whirling it around so fast that the demon almost got dizzy in response. _Ass._

"Jesse?" Dean raised his eyebrows and exchanged a look with Sam, who wore an identical expression of confusion. "Yeah, that, uh… that demon kid." Dean's eyes narrowed faintly, and Sam spared his older brother an exasperated look as he corrected him.

"The _Cambion_," Sam sighed, eyes flicking back toward Castiel. "What about him?"

"It's probably nothing," Castiel muttered, though he looked uneasy. At this point, Michael was on full alert, eyes flickering across his brother's face - and Adam, while annoyed, could tell that this was important, at least to the archangel, and so he stayed silent, and still, in order to listen. "I've simply noticed a bit of a… flare-up, I suppose. I haven't been able to sense him, not really - not since… well, not since L-" The angel abruptly paused, eyes darting in Adam and Michael's direction, "-but…" Castiel cleared his throat, looking back toward the hunters. "His powers. I can sense them again - stronger than ever."

For a long time, everything was silent. Sam and Dean just stared at Castiel, then looked back at each other. Michael leaned back a little, eyes suddenly growing wide, and Adam just sat still, not quite understanding what was going on.

_The Cambion… Oh, no._

_Explain, _Adam demanded, and Michael tore their gaze away from Castiel, rooting it to the journal instead and swallowing hard.

_A Cambion is a hybrid. The child of a human and a demon. Their powers grow stronger when Lucifer's nearby, _the archangel explained, and Adam only blinked, leaning back slightly in their seat as he flicked their eyes over the page, not quite reading, not quite paying attention now. _Or basically on Earth at all…_

Admittedly, it took Adam a good few seconds to process that information. … _wow. _

"Well, it shouldn't be a problem, right?" Sam spoke up after a few moments, causing everyone - including Adam, now - to look up over at him. "The last we saw of Jesse - he was doing alright. Had a good enough handle on his powers, at least," the hunter added, glancing between all of them. Dean didn't reply, but he raised his eyebrows slightly, as if to say _well, yeah_. "I mean, is he- is he hurting anyone? Has he done anything, in specific?"

"No," Castiel responded simply, eyebrows furrowing. "But you're not understanding me, Sam, he hasn't been active since then, and Lucifer's death should have permanently removed his powers." This time, both Dean and Sam seemed to understand what Castiel was implying.

Every muscle in Adam's body tensed, but whether it was from him or from Michael, neither of them knew, nor did they care.

"... Whoa, hold on-" Dean finally managed to speak, a mixture of disbelief and confusion written across his face, while Sam looked a mix of horrified and concerned. "You don't- you're not saying…" He stared at Castiel, and the angel only stared back at him grimly. Dean's eyes hardened ever so slightly, leaning forward a bit. "Cas. We saw Lucifer die. I-" The hunter stopped, froze, and spared a glance in Adam and Michael's direction.

Adam just narrowed his eyes, knowing what Dean had been about to say, but that was the least of his concerns right then. This was bad - this was _very bad_.

"When does anything ever stay dead?" Sam whispered, his horrified expression seeming to deepen further as he looked over at his brother, who stared back at him, silent. "And, I mean- after what Nick was trying to do, after what he did…"

Dean didn't respond, but his disbelief was fading fast, into an equal amount of horror.

_Shit… _Adam and Michael mumbled, heart dropping to their stomach at once. The archangel was just worried, while the demon was steadily growing pissed - at his brothers, at himself, at Lucifer, at the freaking Cambion kid…

"He could be alive," Sam mumbled.

Adam snapped the fork in half, and Michael's blood ran cold.


	37. Chapter 37

All eyes on them, Michael felt like he was about to be sick.

Adam dropped the halves of the fork, blinking down at it as if he hadn't even known he could do that - which, to be fair, he probably hadn't - and Michael just kept their gaze low, feeling the stares burning into the side of their head. His mind was spinning, a dizzying, whirling, roller coaster of mixed thoughts and emotions, and he didn't want to look up, he didn't want to see the expressions on their faces, see the gears turning in their heads as they fought to put together why they had reacted the way they did - and what they really knew about his brother. Adam wasn't nearly as anxious - eyes narrowed, glaring down at the fork, the demon was more pissed off than anything. Michael ached to help, to take that fury away, but he couldn't think past the freezing pain piercing through his chest, heart hammering harder than ever before.

Castiel's eyes narrowed faintly, watching them, but he didn't say a word.

"... Guys." It was Sam who spoke, slow and unsure, but a bit of realization had entered his tone. Michael just clenched their teeth, and Adam spared a narrowed glance upwards toward his older half-brother, eyes darkening faintly as they rested on the hunter. "You alright?" Sam didn't get a response, which only caused the concern on his face to deepen, leaning forward across the table slightly - and, in turn, a low growl began to rumble up in their throat from Adam's side, with Michael struggling to push it down. "What is it?"

Michael faltered, staring at him uncertainly. For a moment, he wished he had Gabriel's ability to lie, to make up stories off the top of his head. He wished he could say something, anything, hell - he wished he could tell them the truth, that Lucifer was alive. Instead, he just stared, throat tight, mouth dry, waiting for the bomb to drop; Waiting for them to realize it. And then what? Well, they certainly wouldn't be pleased, with either of them - maybe he could take the fault for it, maybe they'd let Adam off easy. He didn't want to ruin the demon's chances of reconciling with them now, not after everything, all of the effort that he'd given, trying to forgive them. He didn't want their anger to be justified toward the demon; Adam didn't deserve that, after being dragged into this mess-

Adam spoke up before anyone else could, fury reaching its peak.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" The demon demanded, practically snarling at Sam. The hunter didn't move, but a confused expression replaced the concern, just for a second, before Adam had continued, "we were told that Lucifer - Michael's _brother - _was _dead_. Now, I'm sorry, but the sudden _possibility _that he might be alive is a little bit much to take in, don't you think? Maybe you guys don't exactly think too highly of him, but he was basically all we had in the Cage. You do remember the _Cage_, right?" He directed his question toward Sam, who flinched, guilt flickering to life in his hazel eyes. Dean was silent, but Michael caught a glimpse of his expression, an equal amount of guilt on his face, before the hunter looked away.

"Yeah, I thought so," Adam growled, pushing their chair back and standing up. Michael stayed silent, helpless and concerned, as the demon reached down to grab the salad, leaving the journal on the table. "So you guys can go ahead and start panicking over Lucifer being alive - because, _oh, woe is you_, you have to deal with the Devil again. Just do me a favor, don't start making murder plans until we leave the room."

"Adam," Sam finally spoke up, gentle and pleading, and a rush of guilt was all it took to completely overpower Michael; The archangel shuddered and retreated, unable to hold onto control any longer. He missed Adam's response, though the demon had seemed to soften, just slightly, toward his older half-brother, in particular. Michael simply retreated, as far as possible, guilt and shame and confusion mixing in his chest as one.

He had started pacing, fast and unsteady, arms wrapped around himself, by the time Adam had retreated along with him. The demon looked a lot less pissed, a mixture of irritated and concerned, now, as he watched the archangel pace back and forth through the darkness. Michael didn't look up, just tightened his grip around himself and screwed his eyes shut tight.

After a moment, Adam sighed and moved forward. Michael didn't flinch away, feeling the demon's hand close around one of his wrists, pulling him to a stop - but he jerked a little, jolted in surprise, eyes opening to look over. The demon furrowed his eyebrows faintly at the archangel, turning Michael around to face him, and he took in a deep breath and swallowed hard, trying to force down the lump in his throat enough to try to talk.

"Don't talk," Adam interrupted before Michael could even begin speaking, and the archangel stared at him desperately, chest heaving as he fought for the breath he didn't even need. "Just breathe." He grabbed the archangel by the sleeve and tugged lightly, pulling Michael along through the darkness. Already knowing where they were headed, the archangel followed on after him, stumbling, staggering, barely holding himself up, barely steady - but he didn't need to be, because Adam kept him upright, pulling him forward, leading him on through the darkness, his anchor right there, steadying him the way he'd always been able to.

The second they reached the chamber, Michael sank to his knees, unable to hold himself up any more. He shuddered, arms wrapping tighter around himself, and Adam lowered himself to the ground beside the archangel, releasing his wrist and choosing instead to place one hand over Michael's shoulder, steady and grounding enough to keep him rooted to the present.

No words were spoken.

They stayed, just like that, silent and listening to the singing echoing around the room, the voices bouncing off the walls. Adam didn't move an inch, he didn't say a word, he didn't let the archangel go. Michael just stayed still, until his shaking calmed, and he was slowly able to pull his arms from around himself to reach up, clasping an unsteady, shaking hand over Adam's shoulder in return. The demon looked over at him, not moving his own hand.

"It's gonna be okay," Adam told him simply, holding Michael's gaze with a steadiness, an optimistic kind of confidence, that Michael hadn't even been sure he had. "We've come this far." He squeezed Michael's shoulder. "Lucifer's still alive, despite everything. And, whatever he's doing, whatever he's planning, whatever the Winchesters do - we're what matters. You and me. And what we do, that's up to us. Not them, not Lucifer. _Us_."

Michael didn't reply at first. He just swallowed and breathed in, shaky and unsure. "I don't know what to do," he finally gasped out, voice shaking. "I want to tell them- but I know what they'd do." He swallowed, hard, as he continued, "I know what they'd think, and I don't- I don't-"

"You don't want what's going on with Lucifer to interfere with me and my brothers," Adam interrupted, and Michael, unable to speak once more, just managed a short, shaky nod. Adam sighed a little bit in response, mouth twisting ever so slightly as he thought, then nodded and looked up, toward the singing archangels in the Chamber - after a moment, Michael followed his gaze, helpless and confused. "... Michael, Lucifer's secret is one that we kept _together_," the demon finally spoke. "It wasn't just on you."

Michael glanced over at him, hesitating. It was hard not to feel like that, to feel like it was all on his shoulders. Lucifer was his brother, after all. Protecting him, protecting his secret, that was on him. It was his job - it was what he had to do, now, to make things _right_.

"Buddy," Adam interrupted sharply, breaking into the archangel's thoughts, and Michael flinched slightly, eyes snapping over to him at once. "You're not holding a knife to my throat, are you? You're not forcing me to do these things. You're not making me go along with this, keeping this secret, lying to Sam and Dean - _that's _on _me_. And I'm not even just doing it for you - I'm doing it for Lucifer, and for _me_." The demon paused, and Michael's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he watched him. Finally, after a long moment of hesitation, Adam continued. "I care about him, too."

"But I know…" Michael exhaled, finally calming down enough to talk. "I know how much you hate- you hate _lying_, and I… I just…" The archangel trailed off, and Adam raised an eyebrow. "Just- you're in this position- choosing him over them-"

"And that's _my choice_," Adam insisted. "Not just because of you, and not just because of him. This is what I want. Lying or not, I'm protecting Lucifer, and I'm protecting you. Sam and Dean can go fuck themselves when it comes to the two of you. As far as I'm concerned, you're my family. Not them. So, yeah, I'm choosing you and Lucifer. We both did. Like it or not, we're in this together - and I, for one…" He gave Michael a light shake, and the archangel blinked, looking up at him. "Don't regret a thing. And I'm not _worried_. Whatever happens…"

"We'll figure it out," Michael mumbled, but that thought just made him even more nauseous.

"_Together_," Adam insisted. "Not just you, and not just me - _us_. And, I mean, hell - if the Winchesters figure it out, and they find out we knew, then so what? So, we're not going to be the perfect, nuclear family. I don't _need _them. Yeah, maybe I want to give them a chance, maybe I want to try now, but when it comes down to it, I've got you. You, and Luce. And right now, you're the only _family _that I give a damn about. So stop it - stop thinking about _me_. Stop thinking that I'm a _prisoner _here, for fuck's sake."

Michael fell silent for a moment, but he relaxed under the demon's grip, much to Adam's satisfaction. Slowly, and still uncertainly, the archangel faltered and lowered his gaze to the floor, sinking back onto his knees and wrapping his free arm around himself, not moving his other hand from the demon's shoulder. "... what do we do?" He finally asked, taking in a shaky breath. "Should we try to warn him?"

"Yeah, once they actually do start making murder plans," Adam muttered, shaking his head a little. "No, we need to just stay out of it for now. Lucifer can handle himself right now, and whatever he's doing, he's obviously not doing it alone," he pointed out, and Michael nodded slightly, thinking back to the way his brother had spoken sometimes; The 'we' he had spoken of whenever his plans were brought up, the plans he wasn't supposed to talk about. "Don't stress yourself out over this, man, seriously," the demon continued, finally dropping his hand from the archangel's shoulder. "We'll be fine. _He'll _be fine."

Michael couldn't help but huff out a laugh, humorless, but gentle. "Where'd this confidence come from?" He asked quietly, as he spared the demon a slight side glance. "I like it, but, coming from you, it's kind of weird. You're always so, uh… I don't know, pessimistic."

Adam rolled his eyes, looking away for a moment. He was silent for a while, after that, looking thoughtful, before he suddenly spoke again. "I don't know," he finally responded, quietly. "I just don't think that this is anything worth panicking over. Whatever happens, it'll happen. We can't stop it, and we can hardly prepare for it - the most we can do is just do the best we can, and…" The demon's mouth twisted a little bit, and Michael blinked, watching him. "... hope for the best."

"Hope," Michael echoed, almost absently, staring at Adam for a long time. After a while, though, a faint smile appeared on his face, eyebrows furrowing together. "Didn't think I'd ever hear that from you," he admitted, and the demon rolled his eyes again, looking a mixture of embarrassed and annoyed now as he stared at the wall. "You're right, though," the archangel mumbled, almost to himself now. "With everything that's been going on, _hope _is the one thing that I've just… forgotten about."

"Well, maybe you should start," Adam suggested, finally looking back over at him. Annoyed as he was, his words were genuine, and his eyes were soft. "Don't lose that part of you, man. Especially now. That hope of yours is what held us together in the Cage."

"And it's yours that's holding us together now," Michael noted, and Adam's lips twitched.

"Somebody has to," the demon pointed out, quiet but intent. Michael just huffed out another low laugh and looked away for a moment, pulling his hand off of Adam's shoulder and pressing it to the ground instead. After a few seconds, he heaved himself up - but only to sit right back down again instead, crossing his legs indian-style and crossing his arms over his lap with a sigh. Adam did the same, grunting in the process, sinking back against the wall behind them and stretching his legs out in front of him.

"What do we do if they find out?" Michael asked suddenly, staring up at the ceiling. The singing seemed to be growing quieter, the memory around them fading to darkness, but neither of them noticed. Adam didn't respond, but he turned his head toward the archangel. "That we knew?" Michael turned his head to look back at Adam, the demon only blinking back at him silently. "They trust us," he mumbled. "Castiel and Sam, at least - they trust us."

"You ever heard the saying, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it?" Adam questioned after a moment of silence, and Michael nodded faintly in response, prompting the demon to continue. "Well, there's my answer. When they find out - _if _they find out - then we'll deal with it then. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. And-" The demon paused, looking away for a moment. "If we have to burn that bridge on the way, then… I say let it burn."

Michael fell silent for a moment, guilt and anxiety churning together in his stomach. "I'm sorry."

"You're _really _going to be sorry if you apologize again," Adam grumbled, irritation finally rising up again. Michael sighed, glancing at him, then looked away again. The memory had returned to normal, the singing loud as ever; For a moment, the archangel just stared at his brothers, side by side, singing their hearts out. A faint, wistful smile appeared on his face, watching.

Nothing else to say, they simply sat there, silent and listening, the both of them wide awake and exhausted already at the same time, but neither of them wanting to sleep.

And, for quite some time, they were almost content.

Until the memory suddenly shook, and, like glass, it began to shatter.

Michael reached over for Adam instinctively, the demon doing the same at once; They grabbed onto each other's shoulders again, just watching in confusion and shock as the memory broke apart, giving way to that familiar, dizzying darkness. This time, it didn't come back; It vanished, along with the others, splitting apart, as if… as if…

Adam's grip tightened around Michael's shoulder, and the archangel was physically unable to hold onto him any tighter than he was. "The fuck's going on?" The demon demanded. Michael looked over at him, just as confused, desperate and terrified. And that only grew stronger when, suddenly, they were ripped apart; Michael practically screamed, while Adam _snarled_.

Before either of them could fight through the darkness to get to each other, though, Michael went spiraling. Everything was shaking, at that point, and the archangel could feel every last bit of control slipping away from him, every string connecting him to Adam seemingly being snipped, one after the other. Until, suddenly, it was gone; There was no fury, or irritation. No raging confusion, no annoyed concern - Adam's thoughts had vanished, just like that.

And then, in the next second, he was back in the darkness - but this time, it felt… wrong. This time, he really couldn't see. This time, he was alone. He couldn't sense Adam anymore - not even a flicker of emotion, the smallest thought, not even just his presence; He was gone.

Pushing himself up onto his knees, the archangel raised his head, and gasped.

Two figures stood in front of him, one unrecognizable, and the other, it took several seconds of staring for him to be able to make out. It was Lucifer - but… no, that wasn't _Lucifer_. It was the vessel, though, he knew; Just… different. This kid had eyes. He didn't stand confidently, as Lucifer had used to. He shifted back and forth on his feet, wide eyes staring down at Michael, uncertain, concerned, confused, and innocent. That wasn't his brother. No way in Hell.

"I told you that this would freak them out," the kid complained, looking up over at the other figure - a woman, now Michael could see, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. "You shouldn't have split them up…" The kid turned, eyes scanning through the dark, searching for something.

The woman just stared down at Michael unapologetically, no clear emotion on her face. "It was the only way to get them here. They're still two different souls, however attached to one another they may be." The woman quirked an eyebrow at Michael, who just stared back at her, finally finding the strength, and the courage, to heave himself to his feet. "Hi, Michael."

Michael opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn't force the words out. So he just stared, trying to muster up enough courage to actually speak, and flinched - violently so - when someone abruptly grabbed his shoulder. It took him a second, struggling to see through the darkness, before he realized that it was Adam. The demon looked pissed, and confused, but Michael couldn't feel either of those emotions from him - the thought made his heart lurch.

"Adam," the woman greeted, and the demon's head whirled in her direction fast enough to snap his own neck. Michael could hear a distinct, low growl rumbling up in his chest, but, again, he couldn't feel it. Adam's lips curled back, teeth bared in a vicious, distorted-sounding snarl - but he paused when Michael murmured his name, quiet, scared, and confused.

"We're not late, are we?" Both Michael and Adam whirled around, as one, still somehow in sync despite the connection between them seemingly having been severed. Michael didn't recognize the two people standing there, not at first glance. One stood tall, confident and amused, a smirk written across pale features as blue eyes flicked back and forth between Michael and Adam.

The other figure was much shorter. He was leaned back, one leg crossed over the other, hands in his pockets. While he wasn't too focused on Michael, he seemed to be looking at Adam with an increasing amount of interest, which only grew when the demon hissed at him in response, seeming to have noticed his staring, himself. He didn't let go of Michael, though, and, in turn, the archangel lifted a shaky hand to grab onto his arm, feeling dizzy.

"The _fuck?!" _

Michael cringed, but he recognized this voice with ease. He turned his head, searching through the darkness, mumbling out a quiet, shaky-sounding, "Gabriel?", as he looked around for his younger brother. He finally caught a glimpse as the younger archangel pushed himself to stand, stumbling slightly in the process, looking disoriented, confused, and just a little bit angry. Michael wanted to go over to him, but he couldn't bring himself to move away from Adam.

Gabriel just mumbled a string of curses under his breath, head whirling around wildly, struggling to adjust to the darkness. He looked bewildered, seeing Michael and Adam, but when his gaze darted past them, to the woman and the kid, and then to the other side, where the two other men stood, the fury had completely vanished into nothing but complete, utter confusion. He blinked, several times, before he spoke again. "What the Hell."

"Not quite," the woman drawled, lips twitching. Beside her, the kid facepalmed. Both of the men on the other side just started laughing. Gabriel looked unamused, for once.

Then his gaze darted past Michael and Adam, and his eyes widened.

Michael was the first to turn, and he immediately pushed Adam behind him. And it wasn't because of the black goop that was rising out of the ground, slowly forming a person, but with no features, no skin. It wasn't because of the grin plastered across the figure's face, just one simple, curved line, creepy enough to send shivers down anybody's spine. It wasn't because Michael recognized this entity almost immediately, one of the few with a power that could rival even that of his Father's. It wasn't for any of those reasons.

No, it was the woman standing beside the entity, the picture of impatience and confusion. Her gaze met his, and she only blinked, once, before her eyes narrowed. Michael's heart dropped.

Adam's grip tightened around his shoulder, peering out from behind the archangel - Michael was holding him as still as he could, not letting him move forward an inch - and the demon bared his teeth and snarled, again, at the woman. "The fuck you lookin' at?"

The woman blinked back at him, confused and offended. "My _nephew_, you…" Her face twisted slightly, screwing up in disgust as she glanced the demon up and down. "Creature…"

Thoroughly freaked out, now, Michael stepped back, pulling Adam along with him - and tightening his grip ever so slightly when the demon tried to lunge. Finally, though, the archangel had enough; He whirled around, desperate and confused, and turned to face the other woman, sparing wary glances toward Amara every now and again and pulling Adam as far away from her as he could get the demon. "What- what's going on?"

"Yeah, I'd like to know that, too," Gabriel added, the archangel still not moving his gaze from Amara, and he hadn't looked away since he'd first seen her. "I was literally getting ready for a threesome with these two really hot pornstars from L-"

"_Kids, _kids present!" One of the men interrupted quickly, pointing to the kid standing beside the woman, who just looked amused now, watching them. Adam looked like he didn't know whether to be disgusted or intrigued, so he had settled on a mixture of both. The kid, on the other hand, just looked completely, one-hundred percent done with everybody's shit.

"Shut up, Luci," Gabriel grumbled, and Michael did a double take, looking toward the blue-eyed man, who gave the youngest archangel a mockingly offended look in return, rolling his eyes.

"Please," the kid added in sweetly, and now Lucifer really _did _look offended, but he didn't say anything, simply rolled his eyes again, grumbled, and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Beside him, the other man just snickered. "Now, can we explain? Is everyone here?"

"Everyone's here." The woman placed a hand on the kid's head, ruffling his hair lightly, a warm expression finally breaking past the stone-cold expression on her face - if only for a good few seconds, before she was all-business once again, addressing the others. "Okay. Now. Everybody, sit down, shut up, and listen." Her eyes hardened. "This is important."


	38. Chapter 38

Adam realized that, yes, he was kind of clinging to Michael, but at the same time, he didn't quite care. The archangel was holding onto him just as close, the grip on his arm seeming to tighten with every passing second, and the demon only tightened his own grip in response. This… _this_, he didn't like. He didn't feel _secure_, the way he did when he could feel Michael's emotions as his own, the way he did when he could hear the archangel in his head, the soft, compassionate comments and the comforting, reassuring words. It felt weird, being this close to him and feeling nothing, absolutely nothing, it felt _wrong_, the connection between them just… _gone_.

Michael looked over at him, wide-eyed, but he didn't say anything. Adam furrowed his eyebrows at the archangel in response, searching his gaze desperately, wanting - no, _needing _\- to know what he was thinking, what he was feeling. The archangel swallowed, hard, before he looked away again, and Adam let out a low, quiet growl in the back of his throat - one of desperation, confusion, rather than anger. Never had he felt weaker than he did right then.

Lucifer - not the Lucifer Adam remembered on Earth, no, this new guy who was apparently Lucifer now - was watching them, intent and curious, but he didn't move from his place beside the other man - the one still just staring at Adam, intrigued. The demon spared him nothing more than a glance, jaw setting slightly as his lips curled back, the low growl rising to something a little more aggressive than it had been just moments before.

Michael seemed to recognize that, though, because the archangel's attention was redirected right back to him in an instant. The archangel spared a glance toward the man, mouth twisting slightly, but he didn't say anything, didn't even meet the man's gaze for any longer than a second before he had turned back to Adam, lightly tugging on his arm to get his attention; The demon continued to glare, just for a moment, before ripping his gaze back to Michael. The archangel gave him a pointed look, but he didn't say anything - Adam only blinked.

Just a few minutes ago, he'd have been able to know what Michael was trying to tell him. Now he had absolutely no idea, not the slightest clue - and he despised it.

"Okay, uh, first of all…" The kid - Lucifer's vessel - suddenly spoke up, taking a step toward them. "Hello." He lifted a hand to wave, while Adam just narrowed his eyes at him, nose wrinkling and mouth twisting slightly as he pulled his lips back and let out a low, rumbling snarl; In an instant, Lucifer and the woman were pacing forward from different sides, and Michael was pulling Adam back by the shoulders, while the kid only blinked.

"It's okay," Michael muttered to Adam, glancing from Lucifer to the woman and back again, desperate. "It's okay, it's okay, he- he's just-" The archangel swallowed. "It's okay."

Concern overpowered the wariness; With one last, hostile glare in the kid's direction, Adam turned back to Michael, yanking his shoulders away and grabbing onto the archangel's arm, instead. He pulled him back, away from the woman and the kid, and took a few steps toward Lucifer. The Devil glanced at him, eyes narrowing faintly, but he said nothing.

"I want an explanation," Adam hissed, letting Michael's arm go and turning around. The archangel reached out a shaking hand pressing down gently over the demon's shoulder, and Adam leaned slightly into the touch, but otherwise, he didn't move.

"I'm trying to give you one," the kid insisted, and Adam's mouth twitched again, ready to snarl again - but Michael's other hand came to rest on his other shoulder, fingers digging into his shirt, squeezing softly, and the demon stopped and inhaled deeply, forcing himself to relax - at least, as much as he possibly could, given the circumstances. The kid stared at him, uncertain, then cleared his throat and raised a hand again. "Okay, uh, hello, everyone, my name's Jack."

"We're aware," Gabriel told him slowly, calm on the surface, but even Adam could see that he was certainly not comfortable with the arrangement here. His eyes darted around every which way, a faint scowl written across his face, a gleam of recognition in his eyes; Then, suddenly, the archangel strode over to where Lucifer stood, circling around him to stand in between the Devil and Michael, who hadn't moved away from Adam - and good thing, too, because the demon was this close to attacking the man that was _still _staring at him.

"Actually, I was not." The other woman, the one who had called Michael 'nephew', whom Adam assumed was Amara, spoke up. She looked down at Jack, intrigued, and tilted her head to the side. "Jack… so you're Lucifer's son."

At that realization, Adam stiffened, and he felt Michael's hands tightened around his shoulders. Whether or not he had tensed up, himself, or he was simply trying to restrain the demon, even Adam couldn't tell; And he hated it, on so many different fucking levels. "That's the…" Adam forced himself to speak, looking toward Lucifer, who nodded, almost proudly. Adam stared for a moment, then turned his gaze back to the kid - Jack - who offered an awkward smile. "Holy shit…. Wait. No. Hold it." The demon stared at the Nephilim for a long time before flicking his eyes back to Lucifer, and then right back to Jack. "You're dead. I mean- _Lucifer _was fucking…"

"Possessing me. Yeah, I know." Jack paused, rubbing the back of his neck and looking toward Lucifer. Adam noticed his eyes narrowed, just for a second, before he turned away again. "And, um, I am dead… sort of. For now… Not the point- listen-"

"We need to get rid of Chuck," the woman behind him spoke up, and almost every head turned in her direction. Amara looked shocked, and even Gabriel looked a little surprised. Michael, however, didn't react, and Adam just stared for a very, very long time until, finally, the woman narrowed her eyes a little and spoke up again, slowly, "God."

Adam blinked, and Michael jerked back, hands lifting from the demon's shoulders.

"_What?"_

"Hear her out," Lucifer was insisting, a little sour now, as he turned to watch his brother. Adam waved him off quickly, immediately turning after Michael and taking a few steps after the archangel, who was backing away. He stopped when he saw Adam approaching, though, allowing the demon to get close enough to keep up with him, allowing him to reach over and grab his arm, pulling him forward just enough to get close to him again. Neither of them were particularly fond of any kind of physical contact, but right then, Adam needed it more than ever. And, judging by the way Michael relaxed at his touch, the archangel needed it, too.

"Billie, just…" Jack spared the woman a desperate look, and, raising her eyebrows, she backed off and allowed the Nephilim to take a few more steps forward, turning his attention back to Michael and Adam. "I know that sounds really… really strange, but, uh- well, I mean, Lucifer told you about what He did, right?" He questioned, and Michael didn't react, so Adam just forced a jerky, cold nod in the kid's direction for the both of them.

"_He's gone too far." _

Michael winced, and Adam tensed all over again, a snarl breaking through his teeth as he turned his head. It was the odd, black, gooey entity that had risen out of the darkness. It hadn't moved - its mouth hadn't even opened to speak. The voice seemed to echo around the entire area, while simultaneously coming straight from the entity. The voice was distorted, slow, but the words were easy enough to make out.

"_I wouldn't be bothered, but now…" _The entity's head tilted ever so slightly, and Adam leaned back, thoroughly creeped out. "_No, no, no. I can't __**sleep**__. This one won't let me." _Its head turned in Jack and Billie's direction, just for a second - Adam couldn't tell which one it was talking about, but at the same time, he didn't care enough to try and figure it out. "_And don't even get me started on the lack of __**balance**__. The natural order has been near destroyed…"_

"I'm a firm believer in 'what's dead should stay dead'," Billie interrupted, turning her cold gaze onto the others. "Yes, the souls of Hell no longer walk the Earth - at least, the ones that had been set free during-"

"My brother's little temper tantrum," Amara muttered, rolling her eyes.

Billie nodded to her. "Even then, as long as he still walks this Earth, he's a threat. To us, and to the balance of the universe. And this universe needs. Balance." Adam just stared, glancing between all of them, disbelief and confusion growing - it was Michael who spoke, voice shaking.

"But…" The archangel licked his lips, looking nervous as everybody turned to look at him, expectant. Adam narrowed his eyes at them, slightly, leaning back into Michael's touch, trying to remind the archangel that he was there, he wasn't facing this alone. In response, Michael squeezed the demon's shoulders lightly and continued on, hesitantly. "My Father is gone. He left- right?" His head turned toward Lucifer, as did Adam's. "You said He left."

"I said that Sam and Dean think He left," Lucifer corrected casually, and Gabriel narrowed his eyes faintly at the Devil, but he didn't seem particularly hostile, just a mixture of curious and confused. "But, He didn't. He's too weak," the Devil added, almost seeming proud by that, and definitely seeming amused. Michael was silent, but his grip around Adam's shoulders tightened even further - not that the demon minded, not the slightest bit.

Amara narrowed her eyes faintly, looking interested now. Then, suddenly, she had started laughing. "_Ah_. That's why He wanted to leave." Billie and Jack nodded, while almost everybody else spared Amara a curious look, prompting her to explain, "my Brother… He came to me not too long ago, despite our arrangement - which was, basically, staying out of each other's way." She rolled her eyes, seeming irritated. "He wanted to leave the universe. Of course, He can't leave now, not on His own. He's injured." Her lips twitched, a satisfied smile breaking across her face, just for a moment. "So, I left him. In Reno."

"Reno?" The man beside Lucifer suddenly spoke up, finally, _finally _moving his gaze away from Adam, much to the demon's relief. The man looked toward Amara, intrigued. "One place I've never been, actually. What's it like?"

"Oh, it's wonderful." Amara's smile brightened, turning much more genuine. Adam just blinked, glancing between the two of them now. "Really, you should go sometime. You know, when my Brother's not there, at least. The food is amazing, the spas are delightful - and the _hotels…_"

"It sounds lovely," the man said curiously, head tilting. "Have you ever been to Australia?"

"No, actually." Amara blinked. "Do they have spas?"

"Okay, as interesting as this conversation is-" Gabriel interrupted abruptly - which, if he hadn't, Adam had honestly been about to - and turned to Billie and Jack, the former of which just looked unamused once more while the latter looked bewildered, crossing his arms over his chest and pacing forward a few steps. "I don't know exactly what you're planning to do, but I'm in."

"What?" Michael choked out from behind Adam, and this time, the demon did twist around to look at him, concerned. The archangel's expression was unreadable. "_Gabriel_-"

"Come on, man." Gabriel turned to face his brothers, now, his expression a mixture of irritation and disbelief. "After everything Dad's done? Lying to us, for _years_, pretending that He cared - watching humanity crumble to pieces again and again, forcing you and Lucifer against each other for His own stupid, twisted enjoyment, forcing _me _to-" The youngest archangel stilled, mouth twisting, a deep grimace settling across his face as his eyes darkened. "And now, this? Just, pulling the plug? He's done, no shits given? How the Hell is that supposed to be fair?"

"For once, Gabriel," Lucifer mumbled. "You're actually talking sense."

Michael just stared at them, while Adam only blinked, still trying to catch a glimpse of the archangel's expression. It was so _hard_, looking at him, not being able to tell what he was thinking, and what he was feeling. He hated it, he genuinely hated it, and he missed it. Of course he did, he wasn't even surprised by that - he'd always known that he wouldn't be able to function without Michael, now, but with him right _there_, and still holding absolutely no connection with him, it was as frustrating as it was scary. "I don't…" Michael finally started, swallowing hard, "I…"

"Michael," Billie's voice was gentle, as opposed to the cold, down-to-business tone she had taken with them earlier. "I understand how you feel about your Father. It's hard to let go of that kind of loyalty. But even you have to understand that something has to be done. He can't leave. And as long as He's here, He poses as a threat - not just to humanity, or to the universe. To us." After a moment's pause, staring at them, she added, "to you, and to Adam."

It was only at that last part that Michael reacted, hands twitching on Adam's shoulders, drawing him ever so slightly closer as if to protect him. The demon narrowed his eyes at Billie slightly, taking a slight step back toward the archangel, just to reassure him that he was alright. "I wouldn't let Him hurt Adam," Michael mumbled, but he didn't sound very confident, voice shaking with uncertainty and terror as he glanced toward Lucifer, then Gabriel, then back toward Billie and Jack. "But I- even if we _could _do something- what can we do against _God?"_

"Hashtag put God in the hole," Lucifer piped up idly, and the man beside him made some kind of motion with his hands, as if he were throwing a basketball - which actually amused Adam for a second - while the Devil spoke. "You know, trap His ass. Kind of, uh…"

"Just desserts," Gabriel cut in, a slight glimmer of pride appearing in his eyes now, as well as mischief. "For once, Luci, _you're _talking sense…"

"_We can't kill Him. Not unless we want to throw the entire universe completely off kilter. Then everybody's kind of… what is it kids say these days? Fucked?" _The entity turned toward Billie, who nodded, and it turned back to the others, nodding a bit, itself. "_Fucked."_

"Oh, I'm in," Amara said at once, stepping forward and raising a hand slightly. "Definitely in. I mean, if He's gonna try and destroy the world, hah- that means- Reno- let's trap Him. Please. Where- where are we trapping him? Know what, actually? Doesn't matter. Anywhere will do." She definitely seemed enthusiastic about the plan, but Adam's focus was more or less on Michael now, watching the archangel carefully as Michael's gaze flickered from one person to the other, clearly overwhelmed and stressed to the max. Adam didn't need to share a body with him to be able to sense that, at least.

"We're putting him in the Cage," Lucifer said proudly. Both Michael and Adam stiffened. Well, Michael stiffened - Adam only stilled because he had. Or, hell - maybe the demon had been the one to tense first, and then the archangel had done the same. He really couldn't tell now.

_One of them would do something small, the other would follow suit. One of them would twitch, the other would move completely. Then they were both left wondering who had started what, who had moved first._

"The Cage?" Gabriel asked slowly, raising an eyebrow almost skeptically.

"The _Cage?"_ Amara echoed, a faint frown appearing on her face now, as she stared at Lucifer.

Adam shook his head a little, and, finally having enough, turned away from the others. He grabbed Michael by the wrist, and the archangel hardly fought against him as he was tugged away from the others, sparing a glance back over his shoulder every now and again, but he followed after Adam gladly as the demon simply pulled him away from the group, further into the darkness, just needing to distance them both before one of them - or both of them - had a panic attack right on the spot. Adam felt damn close to some kind of breakdown, and Michael wasn't exactly looking too hot, either.

"Are you okay?" The demon demanded after a moment, as Michael doubled over slightly, arms wrapping around himself, and seemed to shrink in on himself. The archangel let out a shuddering sigh, not responding, but he leaned a little closer to Adam, desperate for some kind of contact - they could both agree with that, needing some kind of connection, since their souls had been ripped apart so… violently, so abruptly.

"Don't know," the archangel mumbled honestly, and Adam laid a hand over his shoulder, steady and grounding. Michael took in a deep breath and opened his eyes, looking over at the demon wearily. "Are _you?"_

"Ask me again when we're not planning on fighting _God_," Adam mumbled, and, despite himself, Michael actually huffed out a laugh - but then, he was silent. The demon studied him for a moment, once more aching to know what was going on inside his head, what he was thinking about, what he was feeling. But he didn't want to ask - he never had to before, and he wasn't going to start now. Hopefully this - whatever was going on here - would be over soon. Hopefully they would be able to go back to normal soon, because Adam didn't know how to function on his own. Not anymore. And that just wasn't changing. Not now, not ever.

"You gotta excuse them, you know. They're a little bit over-enthusiastic."

Adam turned, a snarl already building in his throat, but Michael's hand rested on his back, just between his shoulder blades, enough to calm the demon just enough to see who it was.

It was the man that had been watching him earlier; Casual as ever, hands tucked into his pockets, he wore a bright, casual - somewhat lazy - grin, no clear emotion flickering through his eyes. Yet, he wasn't particularly guarded; No, every little flash of emotion, Adam could see clearly, flitting across his face. But those little bursts lasted no more than a few seconds before they were replaced by the next, too fast for the demon to register, but too slow to be considered nothing. Adam blinked, and stared at him, somewhat mesmerized, at least for the moment.

"And, excuse _me_," the man continued, lips tugging upwards into a dry, amused-looking smile as he stepped forward, not moving his hands from his pockets. "Been a while since I've interacted with anyone for more than five seconds, haven't really practiced my manners too much." He pulled one hand out of his pocket, crossing it over his chest as he bowed, "Jesse. Jesse Turner."

It took a few seconds for that name to click, but judging by the way Michael stiffened beside Adam, he had figured it out the second Jesse had introduced himself. "You're that… you're the hybrid," the demon muttered, eyes narrowing slowly at the man as his lips curled back, baring his teeth ever so slightly at the other, who just looked amused.

"Mm, and you're a demon." Jesse's smile seemed to turn just a little bit colder as he spoke, but it was hard to tell, the emotion not lasting longer than a second before it was replaced by the next. "Not one like I've ever seen before. That's interesting. You're different." He cocked his head. "Not a crossroads demon, not a _normal _demon… not a prince, or a knight…" The hybrid narrowed his eyes slightly, looking intrigued once again. "What color are your eyes?"

"The hell are you talking about?" Adam demanded coldly, and even Michael seemed bewildered, staring back at Jesse with a mixture of confusion and concern written across his face. Jesse just raised an eyebrow, silent now, then turned his head to the side.

"Hey, J."

"What's going on?" Jack questioned, appearing from the darkness and approaching the three of them with a frown. The Nephilim slowed to a stop beside the Cambion, who flashed him a bright, genuine-looking smile, nothing like the plastic, polite ones that he had offered to Adam and Michael. In response, Jack gave him a warm look right back before he turned back to the other two, concern and confusion replacing the smile. "I'm sorry if you're… overwhelmed. I didn't think it was a good idea to bring you guys here so early, but Billie said that Chuck was getting suspicious, and we needed to get a move on. We need the two of you, since-"

"Yeah, that's what I don't understand about all of this," Adam admitted, interrupting the Nephilim and narrowing his eyes faintly at Jack and Jesse, who exchanged a glance in response. "Why _us_? I mean- okay, actually, Michael, I understand-"

"I'm not even at full power, though," Michael pointed out nervously, "don't know how good I would do against… against _Him_," he almost spat the word out - _almost_, and Adam was proud, either way, at the spite that had entered his tone. Proud, but concerned, as his voice shook.

"Well, that's what we're trying to explain," Jack replied, shifting a little on his feet and throwing another glance toward Jesse. "We're trying to work out the details. Getting you back to full power, for one, is important. We need at least three of the original archangels, since Lucifer won't let us bring Raphael back…" The kid rolled his eyes, irritated.

"First name basis with the old man," Adam muttered under his breath. "That's rough, buddy."

"But…" Jack continued, as if he hadn't heard - which, to be completely honest, was irritating as all Hell. "I know that, uh… well, what He did to you, for one, the both of you - you deserve justice just as much as everybody else here. It's not just about how useful you'll be, or how powerful you are. This is about taking a stand." The Nephilim raised his head slightly, eyes narrowing. "And showing Him that we're more than just some characters in a story. We have feelings. We have lives. And we're not going to let Him screw with that anymore."

"We deserve better," Jesse agreed, nodding. "All of us. The lost, the broken, the defeated, the scared. The forgotten - we all had a part to play. We all had a story to tell. We just got a little abandoned along the way. Cast aside. Created and discarded, because we didn't fit anymore." The Cambion paused, looking over at Jack as the Nephilim reached over and touched his shoulder. "It's time to rise up. Take a shot at something that we've never really had before."

"Take a chance for something we've never really experienced, until now," Jack added in, a smile appearing on his face. "Free will. There's still a lot to work out, but…" The kid looked over at Adam and Michael. The archangel had faltered, considerably, listening to them, a myriad of emotions crossing his face as he watched the two, seeming torn. Adam, honestly, felt almost the same way. He did want to do something - but not for him. For Michael.

"I think we can do this," Jack continued, quiet now, but confident. "I think we should try. For all of us - because all of us are worth fighting for." He grinned, warm and innocent.

"Exactly." Jesse smiled dryly, though his eyes glittered with humor as he leaned to one side, propping himself up against Jack. "I mean, I don't know about you two, but I think it's about time we got the chance to raise a little bit of Hell, ourselves." Jesse's smile shifted, turning into something a little sharper, but genuine all the same. "We go down, we go down fighting."

Adam didn't respond, bringing his gaze back to Michael. The archangel looked back at him at the exact same time, clear hesitance shining through his eyes - but there was something else, too, some kind of longing. He _wanted _to do this, he wanted to, and it was so clear to see, even now - and the terror, the reluctance, Adam hated that more than anything. He hated seeing how much the archangel truly did want to fight against his Father - and how broken and confused and uncertain he was to do so because of everything, everything _He _had done to him.

The demon held Michael's gaze, unmoving, but he tightened his grip on the archangel's shoulder. _I'm with you, whatever you choose. I'm with you._

Michael relaxed, slowly, ever so slightly, as if he had understood. After a while of staring, the archangel inhaled, held his breath for a good few seconds, then cleared his throat, swallowed, and turned back to Jesse and Jack, who were watching them intensely and hopefully - respectively - while they waited for a response. And, after a moment, Michael gave one, and Adam's lips twitched upwards into the smallest of smiles once he had.

"... Hashtag put God in the hole…" The archangel looked over at Adam and, seeing the slight smile that had appeared on the demon's lips, his own faint grin appeared, still hesitant - but now with just a spark, a small spark of confidence. Jesse and Jack exchanged a look, both of them smiling now, wider than ever, excited and relieved. "Right?"

Despite how much he tried to fight it, even Adam couldn't keep his face from splitting into a grin, both proud and amused as he nudged the archangel's shoulder. "Damn straight, asshole."


	39. Chapter 39

"Oh- hey- good, they're back…"

Michael paused, raising his head slightly to look past Jack and Jesse, toward Lucifer. Adam had done the same, the demon's eyes narrowed through the darkness as he searched for the Devil, and Lucifer only offered them both an amused smile in response - which abruptly faded, dropped, and twisted into a frown as his nose wrinkled. "Damn, it's so weird seeing you two… as… two…" He muttered, and Michael almost laughed - it was weird _seeing _them split up? Yeah, it was even worse _actually _being split up, thank-you-very-much. He hated it, every single second of it, and he was just hating it more and more.

Judging by the half-grunt, half-growl that was rising in the back of Adam's throat, he felt the same way. Michael reached over, almost unconsciously - instinctive, despite them being split - to lay a hand across his shoulder again. It was nothing more than a light touch, barely any pressure; But the second he came into contact with Adam, the demon relaxed.

"Are you done having your moment, or…?" Lucifer blinked at them, and Michael spared his brother a warning look - for his own sake, rather than Adam's, because his silent reassurances were only going to work for so long. He had to admit, it was a lot easier holding Adam back in their own head than it was to actually, physically restrain him - just another thing that Michael hated about being separated from him. "Yes? Good." He turned away, gesturing toward Billie. "So, then, the plan…"

"Insensitive…" Jack muttered under his breath, leaving Jesse's side to walk back over to Billie, and leaving the Cambion snickering under his breath as he circled around Gabriel and Lucifer, standing off to one side by himself. The Devil spared a look after his son, half-exasperated, and Michael turned his gaze in the Nephilim's direction, himself. His nephew… an odd thought.

He looked over at Adam for a moment, seeing his gaze fixed on Jack; The second Michael looked at Adam, though, the demon lifted his gaze to the archangel, blinking faintly as their eyes met, just for a second. Then his eyebrows furrowed, and Michael's did the same, blinking once more, at the same time, before they both heaved out slow, irritated sighs and ripped their gazes away from each other, breaking eye contact at the same time.

Yeah. Michael hated this.

"Listen." Billie's voice rose above everyone else's, taking the archangel's attention back almost at once. Adam twitched, a low growl beginning to rumble in his chest, instinctive at this point; He rubbed his thumb over the demon's shoulder, just enough pressure to remind the demon that he was right there - after a moment, the growl faded, and Adam relaxed. "I know that this is God we're talking about, and it might seem a little intimidating. But He's vulnerable right now, and this might be the only chance we'll get to start fighting back."

"Our universe is in danger," Jack added, "and we're the only ones who can stop it."

"Because we're the only ones who can do what needs to be done," Lucifer cut in, and Michael turned his head toward his younger brother at once, blinking. "We're the only ones who can stop what He started - and we're the only ones who can give ourselves justice."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Billie murmured. Jack's lips twitched, just for a second, meeting Lucifer's gaze briefly before he looked away once more. Michael couldn't help a smile of his own, but he turned his attention from Lucifer to Amara when his aunt stepped forward; The archangel couldn't keep himself from tensing in time, and, in turn, Adam started growling once again. He shushed the demon as quietly as possible, squeezing his shoulder softly.

"Well, let's talk business," Amara insisted, folding her arms across her chest and looking around. "How are we going to get my Brother into this… Cage, and how do we know it'll be strong enough to hold Him in the first place?" She demanded.

Michael's eyebrows furrowed, thinking about that. Come to think of it, actually, he didn't have the slightest clue if it would be enough to hold… well, _God_. It was made to hold an archangel. It was made to hold a demon. A human. But whether or not it was strong enough to hold his Father… it wasn't as if that was something that had been any kind of possibility before. Most certainly nothing that anybody else had ever _thought _of before. And, then, of course, there was always the issue that-

"The Cage is open, anyway," Adam grunted, echoing Michael's thoughts, and the archangel glanced down at the demon a he continued, "I mean, apparently _God _opened it like it was nothing from the outside. I seriously doubt He wouldn't be able to do the same from the inside."

"Like we said, He's weakened-" Lucifer started.

"But He wasn't too _weak _to tear Hell open, _was _He?" Michael murmured, and Lucifer paused, looking over at him. Everyone went kind of quiet then, and Adam twisted around slightly to look at him, shrugging Michael's hand off of his shoulder - only to reach up, grabbing the archangel's shoulder in a tight, steel-like grip, his unwavering gaze never moving from Michael's. After a moment of staring, the archangel took in a breath, held it, then let it out slowly and looked away.

"Mm." Billie tilted her head at them, raising an eyebrow sharply. "Listen, boys. We're not going into this blind, or unprepared. That phase of this plan isn't even remotely ready yet - whether He's weakened by His injuries or not, the Cage wasn't made to hold Him. The warding wasn't made to contain Him. And that-" She paused, sparing a pointed look Amara's way. "Is exactly where she comes in. Her power, alone, rivals God's. He was able to take her down, only with the assistance of the archangels - and even then, He just _barely _managed it."

"The only problem is, we can't lock Him up where He sent her," Lucifer added. "If we do that, we need someone to hold the key - like with the Mark of Cain. And _that_ was a disaster."

"No kidding," Gabriel muttered.

"So you're settling for the next best thing," Michael mumbled, uneasiness replacing whatever confidence that he had built up before. That was far too easy lately; Confidence, courage, it never came easy to the archangel. And when it did, it was shut down almost immediately, buried under the shame and insecurities and the fear that had been building up inside of him for so, so long. The prideful, if not somewhat arrogant, archangel, who had once stood tall before his brothers, who had once led not just Heaven's armies, but all of _Heaven_, himself, when their own Father abandoned them - that archangel was gone. And in his place was something entirely new. Something twisted, and broken, and shattered beyond his own recognition.

His breathing hitched slightly at the thought, but it was nearly unnoticeable. To all, except one. And that one, the one who stood tall beside him, who carried enough courage and confidence for the both of them, who Michael didn't feel _broken_ with, tightened his grip on the archangel's shoulder to get his attention, meeting his gaze steadily, nothing but unwavering loyalty and understanding flickering through his deep, imploring gaze, soulful and direct, holding an unspoken question; Michael held his gaze until the uncertainty had faded away, until another spark had been lit, until another burst of that ever-fading confidence flickered to life once more.

He wanted to do this. He _needed _to do this.

Michael exhaled, nodding to Adam, who loosened his grip on the archangel's shoulder almost immediately, a small smile appearing on the demon's face, just for a second. Michael held his gaze for a few moments longer before he looked away again, setting his jaw and lifting his head ever so slightly. "So how do we get the Cage to hold Him?"

Billie's lips twitched slightly, and Lucifer's face broke into a grin, almost looking proud, for just a second. Jack just beamed, unsurprised, warm and hopeful as ever. Gabriel's mouth lifted into a small half-smile, but he said nothing, looking toward the others and raising his eyebrows expectantly. "Well, Amara, Jesse and I will work out the kinks. All that really needs to be done is the warding, something that will weaken Chuck's powers further once He's inside, so that He can't break Himself out. The problem is, we can't keep the Cage in Hell while we do that." At the confused stares from Michael, Adam and Gabriel, she pressed, "if He senses what we're trying to do, then there's no point. He's still clueless, as of right now, but if He even begins to suspect - to _really _suspect what we're trying to do-"

"_We're fucked," _the entity finished for Billie, and Michael couldn't help but flinch, hearing the growling, distorted voice. Adam snarled softly under his breath, but Michael didn't try to calm him this time - because by the time he had turned to do so, Adam had straightened up, eyes shut, inhaling deeply through his nose, already working on calming himself down.

"Jesse's power makes Lucifer walking the Earth a lot more difficult," Billie continued, eyes narrowing faintly. "The Winchesters are already beginning to suspect. And Chuck, even if He doesn't realize it by Himself - He's still watching Sam and Dean's every movement. Making sure they're not after _Him. _Keeping them distracted, occupied, until He finds a way to leave. With His eyes on them, and their eyes on us - it's risky, trying to do anything from Earth, from Hell, and from Heaven. Caution is our friend right now." Billie leaned back, crossing her arms.

Michael blinked and lowered his gaze, eyebrows furrowing. The question he wanted to ask was lingering, just on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't bring himself to speak up quite yet. Moving the Cage - honestly, just _seeing _the Cage would probably be too much right now, or at least, it felt like it. And, above that, Michael didn't even know how that would be possible. The amount of warding, the binds, the _chains_… He had been there, he had been right there, when his Father had created the Cage. He'd known every part of it from the outside, and now he knew it from the inside. He knew how it functioned, he knew the spells, and the magic surrounding it. He knew every enochian symbol etched onto the bars, and he knew every sigil carved into the chains, and he knew the lock, and the keys, every single one.

He could say that he'd memorized it all for God's sake, but the truth was, even back then, Michael had been uncertain of his own faith. Even back then, he doubted himself. Even back then, he doubted his Father; And even back then, he had been wondering if he was really making the right choice when it came down to Lucifer and God.

The archangel could still remember that kind of fear.

He did as he was told; He was a soldier, not a son, to God. Every order, every command, was taken in with careful precision, responded to only with absolute _obedience_. Like a complete, cold, marble statue, he stood, awaiting his Father's next orders. God told him to jump? He didn't ask how high - he just did it. No questions asked, no answers needed, no doubts evident. Despite the constant cacophony of voices whispering - no, _screaming _in his ear, asking _himself_ the same question that he'd been asking since before he could even remember; The same question that had only gotten louder, and louder, and louder. _Why. Why. __**Why.**_

And that's why he just stood by as his Father left him to command Heaven. That's why he bit his tongue and took charge. That's why he struggled, day after day, second-guessing every step he took, every decision that he made, because he didn't know if God would have approved. He remembered how lost he had been without his Father there to guide him, without the constant orders and commands he had been expected to carry out daily. Giving commands was harder than accepting them. Taking charge was harder than letting someone else take the wheel. Free will was harder than the chains that used to bind him to his Father.

For a moment, though, the cycle of _why's _halted. Hell, it screeched to a stop, left him right there on the edge of a cliff, barely anything keeping him up. It was jump, fall, or run. It was take control of his own life, or continue to hide away.

Continue to be unable to make his own decisions. Continue to make the same mistakes over, and over again. Continue to let _Him _define his entire existence.

_Michael, you can't do this to yourself anymore. You're always so set on making things right, aren't you? Maybe the one you need to start with is you. _

The archangel blinked, staring down, hands slowly curling into fists at his sides. Okay, so he wasn't worth anything to God. And his Father had made that clear - _too _clear. But he was worth it - clearly enough, he was worth _something _to _someone. _He was worth fighting for to _someone_. Maybe he didn't have the same purpose he had used to. Maybe he didn't have any orders to carry out. Maybe he didn't have a higher power to look up to. Maybe he didn't have to bite his tongue anymore, maybe he didn't have to change who he was to please someone else. Adam thought he was worth fighting for exactly how he was, as broken as he was, as weak as he was.

"Halo?" Michael blinked again, pupils shrinking slightly, and looked up. Adam raised an eyebrow at him questioningly, confusion and concern flickering through his eyes as he stared at the archangel. "You okay?"

"I…" Michael stared at him for a moment, eyebrows furrowing together. He didn't know how to answer that. He didn't know if he was okay, not right then, but he did know that he _wanted _to be. He wanted to be able to put God behind him. He wanted to be able to put his life as a soldier, his existence, his purpose, behind him - and make a new one, one of his own choice. He wanted to be something - _someone _\- else. And this was as good a chance as any to start.

"No… I don't know…" The archangel mumbled, finally, honestly. Adam's eyebrows pinched together, understanding but concerned; After a moment, Michael raised a hand and grabbed the demon's arm, holding on tightly as he turned back to Billie. "I…" He paused, swallowed, and forced his head up a little bit, forced his mouth to move, despite the anxiety writhing in his chest. "The Cage- I can help move it." His mouth went dry, but he went on. "I know how it was made."

Lucifer's eyebrows raised, but he was silent.

Billie lifted her chin faintly, approval glittering through her dark eyes as she smiled mirthlessly at the archangel. "I was hoping you'd say that," she responded, calm as ever. Beside Michael, Adam squeezed his shoulder, and the archangel looked over at once. The demon didn't look upset by the suggestion - if anything, pride glittered through his eyes, faint, but there.

"Guess we're going back to Hell," Adam mused, and Michael's lips twitched into a faint, warm smile in response. That was enough, at least, to help the archangel relax; Knowing that Adam was still standing with him through this made him feel ten times better about the situation, much more confident. "Should be fun. As long as we don't have to fall to get there…"

"Pussy," Lucifer taunted, and Michael tightened his grip on Adam's arm as the demon turned, a snarl already rising in his throat and a retort already on the tip of his tongue as he opened his mouth to respond. But Lucifer was speaking again, before the demon could spit out a word. "Anywho, since big bro was brave enough to volunteer - honestly, wasn't expecting that, so, wow, Micha - I guess I'll go along with them." He threw Billie and Jack a sly side glance. "Michael's not the only one who knows a few things about the Cage."

"I'll come, too," Gabriel offered, and Michael looked up at his younger brother, blinking faintly in surprise. Lucifer raised an eyebrow, almost skeptically, but even his expression softened slightly when the younger archangel continued. "You'll need the extra mojo." Gabriel wiggled his fingers. "Luci can't use too much of his power without running the risk of Dad sensing him, and…" He paused, glancing over at Michael. "Michael's still running low on engine fuel."

"I wish I could join you…" Jack muttered, irritation flickering through his eyes as he looked down and kicked at the ground, forehead creasing as his face scrunched up in a scowl.

"I'm sorry, Jack, but even with the progress we've made on your soul, it's just not a good idea for you to be where Chuck can sense you," Billie told the Nephilim, reaching over to place a hand over Jack's shoulder, and the kid sighed, but nodded. "You and Jesse are better off here."

"Yeah, hey- don't sweat it, J," Jesse piped up, a grin forming on his face now as he winked at Jack. "We'll have plenty fun of our own up here." Despite himself, Jack's mouth twitched the tiniest bit, an amused smile making its way onto his lips. Lucifer squinted slightly at Jesse, while Michael just shook his head, sighed, and closed his eyes for a moment.

"I can keep my Brother distracted enough for you to do what you need to do," Amara added, though she didn't sound too thrilled with the idea of visiting Chuck again. "Just… be fast. Every moment with him is painful… Can you believe he actually thought the Game of Thrones ending was _good?" _A disgusted sound rose in the back of her throat, and Michael opened his eyes to look over at his aunt, both confused and unnerved. "Honestly…"

"_Well, if you're moving the Cage, you may as well move it here," _the entity spoke up, somewhat begrudgingly, as it angled its head toward Michael, Adam, Lucifer and Gabriel; Michael immediately pulled Adam back, just a little bit, not quite trusting of the entity _nor _of his aunt. "_Which means… Well, I'm not going with you… but, I'll keep open up somewhat of a… rift in Hell for you to get through when you need it."_

"Great," Lucifer hummed, "and where, exactly, will this rift be?"

"_You'll know it when you see it."_

"Well, when, exactly, does this need to be done?" Gabriel asked suddenly, turning to Billie again. "'Cause, like I said, I was in the middle of… uh… something, before you dumped this whole Order of the Phoenix meeting on us and everything."

Adam started laughing at that, much to Michael's surprise.

"Oh, no. There's no rush at all," Billie responded coolly, "we'll just wait a few more weeks, let Chuck figure everything out before we actually start putting our plan into action. You know, give him somewhat of a head start, so it's fair. You can go on about your day and pretend like the universe isn't in danger, and we'll meet back up again here after Chuck's already found out what we're trying to do and is, once again, ten steps ahead of us because we waited."

Lucifer was snickering by the time Gabriel had managed to respond. "Point taken," the youngest archangel mumbled, turning back to his brothers and Adam. "So, then, I guess… You need a way into Hell, since you can't fly," He started, looking at Michael.

"I can fl-" Michael only got about halfway through his protest before Adam was tugging him back, clasping a hand over the archangel's mouth to silence him as the demon turned back to Gabriel, a deep scowl written across his face now.

"No. No, he can't fly."

Michael narrowed his eyes at the demon, but he said nothing, not sure whether to be amused or offended, but he let it slide easily enough. He knew that Adam didn't like flying, and he knew it made him nauseous, and, of course, he knew Adam was concerned about him draining his energy completely - and he didn't want to put the demon in a situation that would make him uncomfortable; So, if he was more comfortable with Gabriel taking them down to Hell than he was with Michael doing so, the archangel would go along with it.

"Figured. I'll come get you." Gabriel looked over at Lucifer. "And we'll meet you in Hell."

Lucifer gave a mock salute, looking amused. Adam moved his hand away, to the archangel's shoulder, and Michael took a deep breath, holding it for a moment. Truthfully, he didn't know if he was ready to go back to Hell again, much less to see the Cage after everything that had happened. But he knew that he had to do this, he had to step out of his comfort zone. He'd already volunteered, for one - and this was a decision of his own. A choice, and one that he was making for himself, for once. That was important. If he wanted to be able to move forward, than this was important. The archangel relaxed slightly, looking over at Adam.

Silent, Adam held his gaze, intent and confident. That strengthened Michael's own confidence, finally fanning that spark of courage into a flame. It was small, but it burned just as brightly. Not the way it used to - and, to be honest, he wasn't sure he would ever burn as brightly as he used to - but maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.

He had changed, and he couldn't say if he'd changed for the better - but everything that had happened to him, meeting Adam, getting stuck in the Cage, and everything they'd done from that moment on, that had changed him.

And it had changed him, for better, or for worse, for good.

"Wait-" Michael spoke up suddenly, as the entity raised an arm, a hand forming, ready to snap its fingers. It paused, and the archangel turned, tightening his grip on Adam's shoulder slightly. The demon stepped forward along with him, head raising slightly, still so perfectly in sync. "Wait, uh…" The archangel paused, glancing at Billie, then back at the entity. Michael stared for a moment, heart pounding, before he took in a breath and forced himself to speak again, to ask the question lingering in his mind. "Adam and I… we'll still be together when we get back, right?"

"Yes," Billie responded at once, as if she had been expecting the question. Michael relaxed, with that, and exchanged a relieved look with Adam, who had relaxed just as easily, satisfied.

"Good," they muttered, both of them at once, as one - Michael's lips twitched, and Adam even huffed out a slightly breathless sounding snicker - as they shifted a little bit closer. Michael, for one, he was just aching for that familiar connection. He ached to be close to the demon the way they were used to, to feel his emotions, to hear his thoughts. Judging by the way Adam's hand closed over his shoulder, tight and grounding, the demon was just as anxious to get back to normal as the archangel was.

They watched, silent now, as the entity raised its hand again; And, this time, uninterrupted, it snapped its fingers - and the darkness spun them abruptly, the ground dropping from beneath them, dizzying and terrifying. But before Michael could get a better hold on Adam, their fingers were slipping apart; The grip he had on the demon's arm had vanished, and he could no longer feel Adam's hand on his shoulder, and it felt like his breath had left him.

Barely seconds later, they were sitting upright in their bed, two beings residing in one, _as _one, once again, and both of them gasping roughly for the air they didn't need.


	40. Chapter 40

Adam gasped, chest heaving, doubled over with his hands over his throat. His lungs were aching, burning - and yet, at the same time, he felt… okay. He felt better than he did wherever the hell they had just been, for sure. He didn't realize what the difference was until his hands moved on their own, passing up over his face, and through his hair; Only then did he realize that it was Michael controlling them once again. The relief that flooded through him was indescribable, and Michael's own relief was almost completely numbing in response. The demon inhaled, slow and steady, and let their fingers tangle into their hair as he sighed.

Then, slowly, he let them both drop back down onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. The demon breathed in, the burning in his lungs fading, a rush of contentment warming his chest. The relief was almost blinding, the rush of satisfaction, the gratification that came with the realization that they were connected again - from both sides, it was absolutely amazing. He pushed past his own emotions, letting Michael's consume him for a moment.

_I missed you. _It was almost unspoken, but the thought had risen up in both of their minds, the words lost in the whirlwind. A soft smile settled across their face, and, despite how weak it had used to make him feel before, Adam allowed it to stay. He welcomed the warmth with open eyes, the contentment that came with knowing that they were whole again; Not one person, not two people - just… them. Adam and Michael. Nothing less, nothing more, and it was perfect. It was all they ever needed, and all they'd ever need.

"Are you okay?" Michael asked after a moment, raising their arms up over their face. Adam shut their eyes, his smile not fading a bit.

"Yeah. I am now," the demon murmured in response, and their lips twitched upwards just a little bit more, another rush of warmth overtaking them; Adam grinned, only slightly, bringing their arms up to cross them under his head instead. He turned a little, looking around the room, but his gaze returned to the ceiling after a few moments. "Are you?"

"I think so," Michael admitted, quiet and honest, and Adam paused for a moment. Something was different, something had sparked up within the archangel; He could feel it, a newfound sense of determination. It wasn't like the spite he had felt before, the need to rebel, to disobey God to get back at Him for everything He had done. No, this was different, it was stronger, and there was something a little more content resting deep within the archangel, as if he had finally come to terms with himself. Or, at least, like he was getting there.

Adam's smile widened just a little bit at that, eyebrows furrowing. "Something's different," he said quietly, turning his head to the side to look toward the wall. "What is it?"

Michael was silent for a moment, but his thoughts told Adam almost everything he needed to know. He was… done. He was done playing by God's rules. He was done being just a puppet on a string, he was done being controlled, done living solely for one purpose, the purpose God had given him, the purpose that had vanished into thin air the second he had fallen.

The demon's smile split into a grin, this one lasting much longer. A rush of pride enveloped him; And he let it, he let it surround him, and he sent it right back to the archangel. Words weren't needed for either of them, to know what the other was feeling, what they were thinking, not now. The warmth, the relief, the affection, the _gratitude_, flickering through Michael's chest was enough, and every bit of it was returned. The separation had done nothing but pull them even closer, if that was even possible - and they loved it more than either of them could describe.

"I hope you're happy," Adam mumbled quietly, and Michael lifted their head a little bit, looking toward the ceiling, as the demon continued on, "now that you're choosing this."

Michael huffed out a soft, quiet laugh, and Adam couldn't help but follow suit with a breathless chuckle of his own, looking toward the door for a moment. He had closed and locked it behind him after he had stormed out on the Winchesters, before he had gone after Michael - and thank goodness for that, because the demon was at his weakest right then… Then again, on some level, he didn't even feel weak. He felt stronger. Even smiling, like this, even laughing along with the archangel, even displaying the warmth and the affection he held for the other, he felt strong.

"I hope _you're _happy," Michael mumbled softly, bringing Adam's attention back to the archangel as he listened, eyebrows furrowing together as his smile softened. "I hope that you can be. And that you will be, in the end, with whatever choices you make, too."

Adam fell silent for a moment, thinking about that. He had used to think he wasn't even capable of happiness. But that was back when the only thing he could feel was… fury, pain, and hatred. And while the pain wasn't gone - the pain of betrayal, of abandonment, it would never truly leave him, even if he ended up forgiving his brothers in the end - the fury, and the hatred… had disappeared. A small part of him would always be angry - but it had faded into the dull anger that it was supposed to be, and that blazing hatred had fizzled out completely.

Maybe he could be happy. And maybe that wasn't weak at all. It couldn't be, could it? Not as strong as Adam was feeling right now? Not as invincible as this warmth was making him feel? So maybe it wasn't too late for him. Maybe it wasn't too late to let go. Maybe it wasn't too late to hope, at the very least, that he could change, too. Hell, maybe he already was. He wanted to.

"You know, I think…" Adam trailed off, blinking, the grin on his face fading into a gentler, warmer kind of smile. "I think there might just be a chance of that, halo."

There was no response, but the pride and relief on Michael's end was nearly overwhelming.

They stayed there for a while, silent and content in their own head, simply drifting along in their own thoughts. Until, finally, someone knocked on the door; It was startling, on Michael's end, and the archangel practically jumped and jolted upright almost immediately - whereas Adam just let loose a loud, deep snarl from deep within his chest, instinctive and protective.

Michael shushed him, or attempted to, but the growl didn't fade for a while as Adam twisted their head to look toward the door, resisting every urge to spring up, throw it open, and attack whoever was standing there. But, of course, once he had calmed down enough to think at least somewhat rationally, the demon took in a breath and let it out as Michael slowly turned them around to stand up, staggering a bit - Adam managed to steady them - and looking toward the door with a frown. For a moment, the demon considered the possibility that it might be Gabriel-

_Gabriel wouldn't knock, _Michael told him simply, and Adam narrowed their eyes faintly in response, grumbling slightly under his breath. Okay, so that was out.

Fortunately, though, they didn't have to wonder for too long; Sam's voice drifted past the door, calling out their names quietly. "Adam, Michael-" The hunter knocked again, twice, before he continued on, "it's Sam. I just wanna talk. Please?" Adam didn't know whether to be relieved or annoyed, so he settled on a mixture of both - but he did, finally, move forward to unlock the door, stumbling a bit in the process and nearly knocking the nightstand - and the untouched salad he had put on top of it - over as he moved.

Sam's face flushed in relief the second the door opened, as if he hadn't been expecting either Adam or Michael to have answered. The hunter was holding the journal he had given Adam earlier, the one the demon had abandoned in the main room along with his brothers and Castiel; For a moment, Adam only stared, mildly confused, before turning his attention back to Sam.

"Look…" The hunter cleared his throat, shifting slightly in the doorway, staring down at Adam and Michael with a faint frown written across his face. "About how we reacted about Lucifer… I know it must have been hard to hear. I'm sorry about that." Sam paused, clearing his throat, and Adam opened his mouth slightly to respond - but he thought better of it, snapping it shut again almost immediately and biting back a grimace. "We didn't, um… have the best… experiences with him. I get it, though, him… being all you had there, in- in Hell. But he is… dangerous. And I can't ignore that." Sam glanced down at the journal, mouth twisting. "Not after everything. So I understand your attachment - and I understand why you'd be pissed. You should be; You have every right to be. Both of you. I mean- Lucifer's family. And he was there for you when we weren't, too. If nothing else, I can acknowledge that. But there are things- things that he's done, that I can't forget, even then. And we have to do what we think is right. Whatever happens."

Adam stayed silent, just staring at his older half-brother. There was no anger, though, following Sam's words. No, for the first time, he actually felt something else - something sympathetic, stirring deep within his chest. Something that longed to care. And while it would have been so easy, _too _easy, to push that all as far down as he could, forget it, this time, he embraced it. He let it wrap around him, and he let that tiny flicker of sympathy grow, as much as it was capable of growing. He let the ache pound against his chest, he let the warmth - painful as it was, weakening as it felt, at first - spread from head to toe, until he felt like he was drowning in it. He let it pound against the walls he had built up. And he let those walls crack just enough.

Michael was silent, offering no words; But there was nothing but a steady rush of support from the archangel. Whatever he did now, whatever he said, whatever decision he made, Michael would stand by it. Whether Adam decided to try, or whether he decided to turn away again. And he wanted to - every part of him ached to turn away from his brother. Every part of him except one small, softer part. The part of him that he'd been pushing away since his Transformation. The part of him that he had longed to forget - the part of him that he might need to embrace once again if he was ever going to truly let himself be… happy. His humanity.

The demon paused, eyes trailing down to the journal in Sam's hands, and then back up to the hunter's face. His brother was watching him, quiet, waiting for a response. After a while, biting his tongue, battling internally with himself, Adam came to a decision. He pulled the door open completely and stepped back slightly, taking a deep breath in and letting it out slowly through his teeth. "Yeah. I get it." The demon paused, meeting Sam's surprised stare. "Really."

And he did. He really did. But he wasn't picking sides between Lucifer and Sam. He wasn't choosing the Devil over his brother. He was choosing himself, and he was choosing Michael, and he was choosing the path they were taking now, and the plans they had made, and the world that they were about to save, together, as one, the way they ought to be. But he was also acknowledging that Sam and Lucifer were a part of that world, too - so if you really think about it, Adam wasn't choosing between them. He was choosing both of them.

"Well… good." Sam paused, venturing further into the room, facing the demon and the archangel. Michael was silent, allowing them to interact, but the pride radiating from the archangel made Adam want to smile. He bit it back, though, forcing his focus back onto his older half-brother as the hunter managed to find his voice once again. "Thank you."

"I know you're trying, Sam," Adam responded simply after a few seconds, pausing slightly. Not quite hesitating - no, he knew what he wanted to say, the problem was saying it without sounding too emotional and sappy. "And I appreciate it. I do." The demon paused, looking down, tucking their hands into their pockets and clearing their throat a little bit as he continued, "and I want to start trying, too. Not for you, don't get me wrong," he warned, and Sam just nodded, completely understanding. "But… I don't know. I'm not as angry as I was." He fell silent for a moment, studying the hunter, then added, "and I don't want to be angry anymore."

"You don't have to be," Sam responded quietly, stepping forward and holding the journal out. After just a second of thought, Adam reached out to take it. "I know, I know it's hard, letting go of the past. But we can't change it, man." His brother's expression softened, holding his gaze. "What we can do is change our futures. We can choose to forgive, and make amends, and start over. And if you'd let me- if you'd let me…" Sam's eyes flickered faintly, searching the demon's face. "I want to be the brother that I should've been to you before."

Adam blinked up at him, a little quicker to respond now, despite now feeling like his chest was tightening up with each passing second, the warmth seeming to form into a lump just in the center of his throat, trying to choke him up. Still, somehow, he managed to keep his voice somewhat steady. "... I think I'd like that."

And he did. He really did.

Sam exhaled sharply, releasing somewhat of a relieved-sounding laugh - and, despite himself, Adam's lips twitched faintly, just a fraction. It was tentative, but not uncertain. He knew what he wanted, and he knew it for sure now; It was only a matter of time. Only a matter of really, truly accepting it for what it was. Being able to push past what he saw as weakness, to see it as something much more; And he had a feeling he was getting there. After so long of being so, so _furious_, letting go of that anger, as slow and confusing as the process may be, it felt a lot better than he ever could have imagined. But what was more shocking, than all of that, was that when Sam suddenly stepped forward, going for a hug, Adam moved forward and met him halfway, putting the journal down on the bed. Without even thinking about it, without really _hesitating_.

It wasn't as warming, or as safe, as the rare, meaningful hugs he and Michael shared. But it was still meaningful, in its own way, carrying its own kind of message, its own kind of warmth. Maybe he would never truly feel the same bond with Sam as he felt with Michael, but then, maybe that was okay. He could care about them both in different ways. And while he knew he would always care about the archangel over anything, and anyone, blood or not, he could still care about Sam. He could still have some kind of bond with him, impossible as it had seemed.

He wouldn't forget - but maybe he _could _forgive.

The demon smiled to himself, when Sam couldn't see, digging his fingers into the hunter's flannel jacket and letting his breath out in a low, somewhat content sigh. The smile widened into a grin, despite Adam's attempts to stifle it, from Michael's end - the pride, the satisfaction, the _joy_, it all rushed over him. And he welcomed it. For once, he genuinely, openly welcomed it.

He pulled away after a moment, content as he had been, satisfied as he had been - there were still places to go, people to meet, and they still had no idea where the hell Gabriel was and what was taking him so long, but Adam and Michael both knew they needed to get a move on. Still, he met Sam's gaze as he pulled away, allowing the smile to settle across his face for another small, fleeting second before he wiped it away again, clearing his throat and looking away. It was still hard not to think of these new emotions as weak - but he was getting there. Baby steps. And one baby step at a time.

"I've gotta get back to Dean and Cas," Sam murmured, a smile of his own lingering on his face, one of relief, of gratitude, of content. Adam only nodded slightly in agreement, raising his eyebrows. Those two, alone - not a good idea, from what the demon had seen so far. "Thank you," the hunter said suddenly, stepping toward the door. "For giving me a chance."

For only a moment, Adam didn't know what to say; But the words left his lips before he had even really thought them through. For a moment, he thought Michael was speaking - but the archangel had long retreated by then, content just to watch, silent and soft as ever, as they interacted with one another. "Thank you for wanting one."

Sam's lips twitched, and he nodded slightly in the demon's direction before he turned away and disappeared into the hallway, pulling the door shut behind him with a soft _click._

Michael finally rose up to take control, as Adam turned, picking the journal back up off of the bed and instead moving it to the nightstand, sliding the salad off of it and into the small trash bin beside the stand in the process. "I always knew you had it in you," the archangel murmured, and Adam rolled their eyes slightly, but even then, he couldn't even be annoyed. There was still a lingering sense of contentment, one he just couldn't quite shake. "I'm glad you're giving them a chance. And yourself a chance, to be happy." Michael softened. "You deserve it."

"I think I've had enough mushiness for one day, pal," Adam muttered good-naturedly as he looked back toward the door, then back at the journal. He was about to reach over and open it - when, abruptly, a soft _whoosh _echoed through the room, the papers hanging from the edges of the journal fluttering faintly, and the demon felt a distinct breeze run through his hair. He turned, slowly, more confused than anything - but that dissolved into realization when he saw Gabriel standing there, with a half-eaten Snickers bar in one hand and a long silver blade in the other, which he was all-too casually stuffing into his sleeve. "'Bout time."

Michael chided him lightly, though he gave in rather easily. "... yeah, Adam's got a point. It _is _about time," the archangel muttered, amused, and Gabriel squinted slightly at them with a half-bewildered, half-frustrated expression spreading across his face now. "What were you even doing, anyway?" He paused, however, as Adam thought back to the comments that the youngest archangel had made before, during the meeting, an odd look flitting across their face. "... nevermind, I'm not sure I want to know."

"Yeah, you're better off not knowing," Gabriel responded, a grin appearing on his face. Adam spared him a deadpan look, receiving a shrug from the archangel in response. "Couldn't just leave them hanging without somewhat of a… goodbye kiss. You know how it rolls," he said dismissively, waving a hand. "So, you ready to go or not? Luci's prolly already there, so, we better get a move on before he tries to do this thing without us and gets his ass in trouble."

"Good point," Adam muttered, and Michael hummed slightly in agreement. The demon looked back at the journal, and then spared one last glance toward the door before he turned away again, nodding slightly to Gabriel - and bracing himself for what was about to come - as Michael brought them a few steps closer. "Let's do this."


	41. Chapter 41

"I swear, this place gives me the creeps…"

Michael blinked down at his younger brother as he walked along through the halls, eyebrows furrowing faintly in a mixture of concern and confusion. Gabriel had never been one of the bravest angels in Heaven, and Michael would admit that - but what he had lacked in courage, he made up for with enough snark and sarcasm to fool everyone else into believing that he just didn't… care. There was no sign of that guarded, masked archangel now, no sign of the scheming, but compassionate jokester that Michael had once known. Now, he walked along stiffly, back straight, shoulders tense. For a moment, the archangel thought back to how he had looked before, when they had been walking through Hell to find the Crook.

He didn't quite understand, though. Gabriel had never really had anything against Hell, as far as Michael could remember. He had never cared for it, at least - but the idea of his brother being _afraid _of the place… well, the archangel couldn't quite grasp it. After all, even being the youngest, Gabriel was one of the strongest archangels - why would he be afraid of Hell?

_Uh, 'cause it's Hell, _Adam piped up dryly, and Michael bit back a snort and resisted the urge to roll his eyes, not sure whether to be amused by that or not. Okay, the demon did have a point - but, Michael was definitely biased. They both were. After so long trapped in Hell, it made sense that they would loathe the place, that they would fear it, the idea of being stuck again. Michael had never thought highly of the place, even before his being stuck in the Cage - but even then, this was different. There was more than just unease, more than just a simple kind of wariness radiating from his younger brother, and Michael just… couldn't place it.

He opened his mouth, but shut it slowly, after a moment. Almost every part of him ached to ask, to understand what was wrong, but there was still some of that uncertainty lingering, that uncertainty. Gabriel wasn't their Father, and Michael knew that, and he wasn't _afraid _of questioning his brother - but he was afraid of making him uncomfortable, of making him pull away even more than he already was. Gabriel was already so… distant toward him, and who could blame him - but he wanted to get close to him again, the way they used to be.

For a moment, he mulled over that, a frown tugging at his lips. He could still remember a time when he and his siblings had been closer than ever. He could remember when Gabriel was sweet, and open, the class clown of the family - the one who made them laugh, who always wore a smile, no matter how tough things seemed. He could remember when Lucifer was warm and loving, when his younger brother had used to look up to him, the one who used to beg him day after day to take him flying, to teach him all the things he knew. Lucifer's change had hit him the hardest, for certain - and Gabriel leaving, he hadn't been surprised by, but it pained him.

What hurt even more was the loss of the archangel his brother had once been, twisted by the feud between his older brothers, angered by the fact that he had to choose between them. The revelation of what God really was must have hit Gabriel hard, Michael realized for the first time. While he didn't hold the undying loyalty to their Father as Michael did, he had still loved Him.

He had still _trusted _Him.

_Talk to him, _Adam's words startled the archangel for a moment, drawing him out of his thoughts, and Michael glanced ahead slightly as the demon went on, _you want to get close to him, yeah? You can't do that if you keep avoiding interacting with him, _Adam chided, and Michael's eyebrows furrowed faintly, hesitating. The demon had a point - of course he did, he was rational. He didn't get anxious like Michael did; He was blunt, and simple, with what he needed to say. The archangel had never really been like that, unable to speak his own mind, to speak for himself. The thought caused his frown to deepen, slightly, and a small spark of determination was added to the tiny, flickering flame that had been lit within him, just enough.

Confidence strengthened, the archangel took in a deep breath and looked up again, turning his gaze to Gabriel, who was glaring at a statue as they passed, looking unnerved. He looked over when Michael spoke, however, hesitant but determined. "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did," Gabriel responded easily enough, hardly missing a beat - and Michael had to pause, because, yeah, that was true, but that hadn't been what… oh- _oh_, it was just another one of Gabriel's jokes. The anxiety calmed almost at once, as his brother dissolved into laughter, the tension between them cracking - if only for those few seconds, but it was enough of a window. "Just joking, man. But, seriously, just some advice - don't _ask _to ask something. Just… ask it." The youngest archangel paused, blinked, and narrowed his eyes. "... yeah."

"Right." Michael stared at him, somewhat dumbfounded, but he couldn't fight back a smile when Adam began chuckling, internal and silent, but the sound still warmed the archangel from head to toe. He fell silent for a while, then eventually shook his head and forced himself to focus. "Why…" The archangel paused, licked his lips, swallowed, and continued on carefully. "Well… why… why _do _you hate Hell so much?" He paused, as Gabriel slowed to a stop, blinking at him. It took just about everything Michael had not to cringe back, wondering if maybe he'd overstepped. It was so hard to tell now, as guarded as his brother suddenly was.

_Easy, _Adam murmured, and Michael took a deep breath in, steeling himself. However his brother reacted, whether he told him to fuck off and mind his own business, or whether he answered honestly, he had to be prepared. And he would be prepared.

"Kinda disappointed," Gabriel muttered after a few moments. "I thought you were gonna ask about the pornstars." The youngest archangel pulled a face, and Michael was left just staring at him in complete confusion - because, yeah, he hadn't exactly been prepared for _that_. Adam fell silent, slowly retracting his control, a mixture of bewildered, amused and disgusted all at once. Michael just opened his mouth, then closed it, not quite knowing what to say.

"It's an interesting story, actually," his younger brother continued on, already turning away and heading off on his way again. Michael couldn't move, so Adam rose up to take control again, following after the archangel slowly. "I've always kind of hated Hell, don't get me wrong…"

"I don't blame you," Michael said quietly, looking down for a moment, running their tongue over their lips and letting out a slow, slightly shaky sigh. Gabriel glanced back at them, but he didn't say anything for a moment, looking slightly thoughtful now. He paused at one of the crossroad-like hallways, glancing up and down the halls with an irritated expression before closing his eyes, looking like he was searching for something; And, seeming satisfied, he turned and headed to the left; Michael and Adam followed without question, since neither of them had bothered to memorize the maze on their way out, meaning they were just as lost as Gabriel.

"Well…" Gabriel finally started speaking again after a little while of walking, a bit of uncertainty having broken through the guarded tone, just for a second. "I got myself into a little bit of, uh… trouble. After Luci 'killed me'." His younger brother raised his hands, mimicking finger quotes as he continued on, dropping his arms back to his sides. "See, I'd gone into hiding. Kind of like… well, you know, when the Family Feud began." The archangel spared Michael a glance.

Michael's mouth twisted into a grimace, but he said nothing.

"Anyway, this time was different. Since I was assumed dead by pretty much everyone - except, you know, for a select few," Gabriel continued on, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Loki and his kids, to name some… and, then, Asmodeus." The youngest archangel's tone sharpened. "Or, as I prefer to call him, Ass-modeus."

Michael paused slightly, looking over at his younger brother. Asmodeus… the name was unfamiliar, but the way his brother spoke of him was unsettling enough. The archangel bit his tongue for a few seconds, hesitating, then took in a deep breath and brought himself a little closer, falling into step with his brother and wrapping their arms around them slightly. "I've never heard of him," he murmured, glancing over at Gabriel. "Who is he?"

"Was," Gabriel responded vaguely, eyes narrowing ahead for a moment. "Nothing special, you know. Just a demon- no offense to your little buddy, or whatever," the archangel added, and Adam rolled their eyes slightly, but he didn't say anything. Michael just furrowed his eyebrows. "While everyone assumed me to be dead, I…" The youngest archangel's jaw set slightly. "Well, I was being kept down here for years while Ass-modeus tortured me, feeding off of my Grace."

Adam's eyes widened slightly, actually startled by that. Michael simply froze where he stood, coming to a complete stop and staring at his brother through wide, horrified eyes.

It took Gabriel a moment to realize that he had stopped following; The youngest archangel paused several feet away, finally turning to look, confusion evident in his expression as he stared at his older brother. "What?" He demanded, somewhat impatient. "You coming?"

Michael just stared at him, confused, not quite comprehending. He didn't understand - how could Gabriel just casually admit that like it was nothing, like it didn't matter? He clearly was still affected by it, if the way he was acting now, in Hell, was any kind of indication. And yet, here he stood, calm and casual as could be as he spoke of his own capture, his own torture, like it was the very least of his own worries, at the bottom of the list of things he gave any shits about. The archangel's head was swimming, thoughts swirling dangerously fast. He couldn't just brush that aside the way Gabriel was doing - so many emotions came with the admission. Pain, for how much he had missed, for how much his brother had hurt. Anger, toward the demon that had dared to lay a finger on his little brother. Disgust, and confusion, and… and…

And he wanted to find Asmodeus and rip his head off of his shoulders - but if what Gabriel had said before - "_Was" _\- meant anything, then it might be too little, too late for all of that.

"Gabriel, I…" Michael faltered, head tilting to the side, eyebrows furrowing. Gabriel quirked one of his own, pressing him on further, but the archangel could barely manage to get any words out at this point, genuinely unsure of how to react. "I didn't know…" He stopped, swallowing hard, eyes flickering as he searched his brother's gaze for something, some kind of emotion, trying to see past the guarded mask that the youngest archangel had been building up for longer than Michael had even _realized_. "Are you… are you…" He couldn't continue. He couldn't ask.

But Gabriel blinked, realization flitting across his face, and his expression of bewilderment only increased further for those few seconds of silence - before the mask was back up, a cocky smile forming on that guarded face, and Michael's heart sank as his brother stepped away, distancing himself once again. "Hey, bro, I'm good. All of 'em, they're gone now. Ass-modeus, Loki and his traitor kids - gone." The youngest archangel shrugged. "Only thing that bothers me is these creepy ass hallways, and the sooner we're outta here, the sooner I can get back to my pornstars. So, if you don't mind." Gabriel gestured, and rather dramatically so, ahead of them.

Michael opened his mouth to protest, but he couldn't form the words. He just didn't know what else to do at that point. He had tried reaching out, and it hadn't done much good; Gabriel was so closed off now, so distant, so guarded. But _what_ he was guarding himself from, the archangel couldn't even tell. He faltered a little, mouth twisting slightly, staring back at his younger brother in complete silence. Adam was just as quiet, nothing but supportive, nothing but silent, warm encouragement emanating from the demon, but before Michael could gather up the courage to speak again, his younger brother groaned, sighed, screwed his eyes shut, and caved.

"Okay. Yeah. I hate it here." Gabriel's tone sharpened slightly, but he didn't sound guarded anymore, just upset. "I hate it here, because every time I pass one of those dumb statues, or get a glimpse into a familiar room, all it does is remind me how weak I was, and how scared I was - and how scared I still am, even though he's gone." The youngest archangel blinked his eyes open, narrowing them into a slight glare as he looked away from his older brother. "But, you know what? You got problems with Hell, Luci's got problems with Hell - we all got problems with Hell. Fine. Sure. _Whatever_. But I'm a little sick of being caught up in the past. I'm sick of looking at you and seeing the face of the archangel that killed me, I'm sick of looking at Lucifer and seeing the evil, twisted older brother that I used to look up t-"

"What?" Michael interrupted, short and choked, breath hitching, throat closing, chest constricting, only hung up on one specific part of that sentence, one part of that sentence he hadn't expected to hear at all. Gabriel visibly paused in response, confusion replacing the fury written across the youngest archangel's face as his younger brother slowly brought his gaze up to Michael's face again. For a while, they only stared at each other, until Michael finally dared a stumbling, unsteady step forward. Adam steadied them quickly enough, concerned and just as bewildered as Michael, as the archangel stared down at his younger brother with wide eyes. "What… what do you mean… th- the face of- the- the f- the face of the archangel that…"

Gabriel let out a low, strangled sigh from the back of his throat and hung his head, screwing his eyes shut, looking for all the world like he was kicking himself.

"He…?" Michael's mouth went dry as he struggled to speak, pupils shrinking slightly. "He got- he got you, too? He- He…" Sam had left that part out - the part about his alternate universe counterpart killing not just one of his brothers, but two of them. The thought was sickening. He felt too weak to stand, but Adam wasn't letting him fall, not this time.

"It doesn't matter, okay?" Gabriel finally spoke up, much colder than before, and Michael couldn't keep himself from flinching in time. The youngest archangel paused slightly while Michael took a moment to reign Adam in, a snarl already bubbling in their throat from the demon's end as he prepared to rip right into Michael's younger brother, ready to let him have it. It took a while for the archangel to calm Adam down this time, stifling the protectiveness with a soft, calm, soothing voice as he dropped his gaze from his brother, to the floor, and went still.

Gabriel softened a bit, sighing again, and while he was a little more gentle when he spoke next, he was just as guarded as before, and his tone made it clear enough that he wasn't dealing with any more pressing on Michael's end. "Just- come on. Luci's gonna think we stood him up, and nobody wants a pissed-off-because-his-prom-date-ditched-him-Lucifer, any day of the week." The youngest archangel's attempt at a joke didn't get much of a response, just a silent stare, and, after a moment, Gabriel simply gave up and turned away, continuing on his way down the hall - and without looking back this time, too.

Michael didn't move, and Adam didn't move them this time. _You okay?_

The archangel's response was instant and honest as always. _I don't know. _They stood still for a moment, silent, thinking. Then, finally, with a deep breath in, Michael raised their head and Adam continued on, with the reassurance that the archangel would be okay - he just needed to clear his head. Just needed to think over a few things. Just needed to figure out how he was going to get _both _of his brothers back this time, because he was honestly clueless there.

_You want me to punch him? _Adam questioned after a while, all-too casually, and while Michael wanted to laugh, he was silent as ever, eyes fixed on the back of his brother's head.

_No, thanks. _The archangel fell silent for a moment longer, wrapping their arms around them once again and taking in a slow, steady breath, letting it out in a short, soundless huff and dropping his gaze right back to the floor, a faint grimace settling across his face. That was just another thing he had to fix, another mistake to mend that he hadn't even made.

It was funny - he didn't think he could hate himself any more than he already had. And the version of himself that he hated most wasn't even him, at all.

Now _that _got a laugh out of the archangel.


	42. Chapter 42

"What the _hell _took you so long?" Lucifer was sitting on top of the Cage - yes, right on the top, his legs hanging down through the bars and his arms behind him, keeping himself propped up. Adam stared, mildly surprised by how he could get so close to the Cage. Well, hell, forget that; He was shocked that Lucifer could be so high up and be _comfortable_, around the Cage or otherwise. He shied away from the edge of the platform as they neared - and, in turn, Michael slid them a few steps back and came to a stop, patient as ever, and Adam relaxed - slightly.

"Yeah, we got lost." Gabriel brought himself right toward the edge, not at all caring about the dark, fiery pit below, nor the Cage in front of them. "Several times." He stared at it as if he'd never seen it before, wide eyes roaming over every part of it. Not curious, not confused, not awed or fascinated. Just silent, assessing. Lucifer unhooked his legs from the top of the Cage and stood, climbing down, then stepped onto one of the chains and slid all the way down onto the platform standing up. Adam stepped back slightly, glancing toward the chains.

"Gabriel was leading," the demon explained simply, earning an indignant look from the archangel, and an amused snicker from Lucifer. Michael rolled their eyes, but he didn't say anything, a tiny bit of amusement curling up into their chest. It vanished, however, as they looked back over at the Cage - and, for a few seconds, silence fell over them all. Adam pressed their lips together into a thin line, while Michael, almost unconsciously, brought their arms up around them, tight but not tight enough to bring them back from the abrupt swirl of memories.

There were different things Adam remembered. Things Michael had missed. The archangel had been cooped up in their head for a long time, driven insane by his own fury, his own confusion. He had broken too easily, and, for a while, it had only been Lucifer and Adam, really. Michael would come out, every now and again. He'd mumble, and pace, and the demon would stay in control with him for the archangel's own sake, because leaving him to his own devices while he was in control was never much of a good idea, not when he wasn't in his right mind. And before Adam's Transformation, he could recall, the pain and the exhaustion he felt, constantly. Passing out from the torture, there were things he missed, that Michael remembered in that lost time.

There were a few things they could both remember, though - and one of those things was the day it had begun. The day they had fallen. The day they had started changing.

Before he could get too caught up in the memory, however, Lucifer had abruptly turned away from Gabriel - who was now walking across one of the chains to get to the Cage - and was facing Adam and Michael once again. He wasn't the blonde-haired, blue-eyed man that he had been in the dark, shadowy place - no, he was back to looking like Jack again, except this time, the shades were gone. He had eyes. Adam blinked a little at that realization, but he didn't say anything, and nor did Michael, both of them just staring as the Devil gestured upwards, toward the Cage. "Well, come on." He beckoned them impatiently. "We gotta get a move on."

Michael looked toward the chains leading up to the Cage, and Adam felt his heart drop straight to his stomach with a sickening _jolt_, leaving him completely paralyzed.

"You're not _scared_, are you?" Lucifer asked with a grin, and, with total confidence that that alone would be enough to make them move, the Devil turned and stepped up onto one of the chains, following after Gabriel. By that point, the other archangel had reached the Cage and was already pulling himself up onto the top, grunting in the process, using his wings for an extra boost without quite flying. Adam couldn't keep himself from shuddering as he watched Lucifer make his way up the Cage, calm as ever. Even Michael grimaced a little, but it was more from the idea of getting close to the place they had been held captive for so long than the idea of being up so high. As for Adam, for him, it was both of those things. That didn't help.

"If you don't want to go up there," Michael started slowly, but Adam didn't miss the way his voice shook, ever so slightly, looking the Cage up and down. "Maybe we- we can do this from here." The demon stayed silent, but he hesitated as he considered that, breath hitching, heart pounding, eyes wide and flickering as he watched Lucifer make his way to the top, and Gabriel extended a hand down from where he was already perched on top of the Cage, helping the Devil up with ease. Lucifer accepted the help with a smile.

The slight twinge of longing on Michael's end was all Adam needed to come to a decision.

"Be fast," the demon begged quietly, swallowing hard and taking in a deep breath. Michael exhaled a little and nodded, taking a step forward, and Adam had to retract most of his control so that he didn't flinch backwards the second the archangel stepped onto the chain. It shook under them, and Adam bit their tongue hard, cringing, as it rattled. As if in response to his fear, the archangel stilled, allowing the chain to settle beneath them before he braved another cautious step forward, reaching up to grasp at the chains above them to hold them steady.

As Michael inched along, Adam glanced downwards, just for a second. The darkness was dizzying, the fire having long been put out. It was cold, and empty looking, and… and far… and Adam could feel the nausea brewing in the pit of his stomach now. With a grunt, Michael lifted their gaze ahead, jaw setting, mouth twisting, teeth clenching. "Eyes up."

"Easy for you to say," Adam snapped back breathlessly, no real bite to his words. Michael huffed a little bit, but he didn't say anything. He wasn't angry, just concerned - and, honestly enough, the demon was grateful to him for keeping their gaze ahead for him, because Adam didn't think he had the strength to do so right then. His arms trembled as the archangel gripped onto the chains, legs shook with each step forward, but Michael pulled them along, steady and slow. All Adam could think about was what would happen if they fell, if they slipped, and the thought caused his heart to lurch in the most painful ways, as if it were bursting from the inside, tugging and pulling in different directions and threatening to rip itself into millions of tiny, broken pieces. His stomach curled, and, he had to surrender the rest of his control to Michael because he was scared that his shaking would hinder the archangel's ability to keep them steady.

"I got you," Michael murmured, and Adam grunted.

Lucifer and Gabriel just watched silently from where they were perched on top of the Cage, exchanging a look as their oldest brother struggled to pull himself and the demon along the chains toward them. The Devil muttered something that sounded something like "yeah, take your time, we got all the time in the world here", and he seemed like he was about to say more before Gabriel leaned over and elbowed him in the ribs - prompting Lucifer to shove him back a little bit - and that was distracting enough to take Adam's mind off of how high they were. At least until Michael, equally distracted, slipped slightly. He was able to hold them up by the chains above them, but that didn't stop Adam's heart from skyrocketing right out of his chest.

_Michael I __**swear**__\- _The demon yelled, and Michael winced a little bit as he adjusted their feet back up over the chain again, breathing heavily and shaking slightly, all on his own now, as he tightened his grip. Lucifer's expression had dropped, just for a second, to alarm - but now it was back to normal, indifferent as ever as he watched. Gabriel had moved forward, hands gripping the edges of the Cage as he kept a steady gaze on his oldest brother, wings spread out.

Finally reaching the Cage, Michael let go of the chains above them with one hand and reached to grab the bars with the other, arms and legs trembling. Adam wanted to help, but he didn't trust himself enough to be able to hold them steady. _I've got it, _the archangel assured him - though in all honesty it didn't do much to calm him - as he stretched their other arm up, reaching a little higher and looping their fingers through the gaps in the bars once again, breathing in slowly and attempting to push them up just a little further, teeth gritting, as he began to lift them off of the chain to start climbing up the Cage. The demon was definitely glad he wasn't in control, because he knew that if he had been, the feeling of his feet dangling so loosely in the air, with nothing beneath them, would have startled him enough to let them both fall.

Michael startled, however, when someone grabbed their wrist. Adam felt it, despite not being in control; He felt the jolt, he heard the gasp, the rush of anxiety that slammed against the archangel's chest as his grip on the Cage loosened. Before they could fall, however, they were being lifted right back up. Michael didn't try to pull away, just twisted slightly to look up, eyes wide. Adam couldn't help the rush of relief he felt when he saw it was just Gabriel, the archangel pulling them up easily by one wrist while Lucifer reached down for the other. Michael surrendered easily enough, allowing both of his brothers to pull them to the top of the Cage.

The archangel rolled onto their back the second they were safe, trembling, eyes screwed shut and gasping for what little breath he could get in. Adam just heaved out a long, heavy sigh of relief, slowly giving in and taking control once more, doubting he could be on edge enough to make them fall now, at least, when they were somewhat steady. The demon blinked their eyes open and looked over at Lucifer and Gabriel; The Devil had sank back onto his knees, refusing to look them in the eyes, and the youngest archangel was merely watching Adam and Michael with a guarded sense of caution, wings still spread and poised as if to lunge for them, on the off chance that they did start falling from where they were. The thought made the demon nauseous. Honestly, even being inside the Cage was better than being on top of it, in his opinion.

"Thank you," Michael breathed out to his brothers after a moment, and Adam pushed them to sit up, slow and shaky, pushing himself away from the edge and digging his fingers into the gaps in the top of the Cage. He inhaled slowly, held it for a good few seconds, and let it out in a low groan as he finally caught a glimpse of the void below. He shook a little bit, shivered, realizing exactly how _high _they were, and he would have given literally anything at that moment just to be back in the bunker with his annoying as hell older half-brothers. He'd take Dean over this any day of the week, _please_, and _thank you_. Only reason he was doing this was for Michael - but that reminder was enough to strengthen his resolve, and so with a rather dramatic, defeated sigh, he leaned forward and looked over at the other two.

Gabriel had turned his gaze back to the chains without responding to Michael with anything more than a short hum. It was Lucifer who flashed the archangel a grin, eyes sparkling with amusement. It was so different from the innocence Jack had displayed before that it genuinely left the both of them reeling - this whole vessel thing was going to get confusing, especially if they ended up on another trip back to that weird, shadowy hellhole. Which, with the way things were going now, they definitely were going to… Adam grimaced at the thought, but said nothing.

"Okay…" Lucifer cleared his throat, looking around slowly. "I gotta get back to the guys real quick, tell 'em we're ready for the rift." The Devil paused, leaning forward to peer over the edge. Michael moved as if to follow, but he backtracked quickly when another rush of nausea hit Adam head on the second he even considered it. "We're probably gonna have to end up dropping the thing straight down, which shouldn't be hard once we get the chains off."

"How do you plan on even getting back there?" Gabriel questioned, twisting to face his older brother, and Lucifer wiggled his eyebrows slightly in response. "Without dying, I mean." The youngest archangel paused, and then a smirk was forming on his face, eyes glittering. "Then again, Luci- that can totally be arranged." He offered his brother a toothy grin, and Michael let out a low sound of disapproval in the back of their throat while Adam let out a few snickers at the same time - the mix of sounds didn't exactly end well, but neither Gabriel nor Lucifer reacted to the dying cat sounds as they broke down coughing, simply held in their own staring contest.

_Ass._

_You were the one that laughed._

"If anyone's going to kill me, Gabe, it's going to be me, thank you very much," Lucifer responded easily enough with nothing more than a roll of his eyes, leaning back. Then, grinning, the Devil was falling backwards, completely limp; The energy surrounding him, as little as it was, vanished in an instant, and he was gone, leaving behind the completely still, lifeless body behind him. Michael just stared, silent, before slowly turning back to Gabriel, while Adam tilted their head and nodded, genuinely impressed by that little display. Gabriel looked nothing short of irritated, sitting back with a huff and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Showoff." The archangel paused, raised a hand, and snapped his fingers; Michael visibly flinched, which caused an instinctive growl to rumble in Adam's throat, already on the defense because of that - but, it vanished instantly when a champagne glass shimmered to life, appearing out of nothing but thin fucking _air_, and filled to the brim as if someone was pouring a drink, a strawberry appearing on the rim of the glass. The red liquid practically sparkled, and, humming, Gabriel lifted the glass to take a sip. Adam only stared, blinking, a rush of jealousy exploding in his chest. He knew what it was, of course, with ease, at first fucking glance. John had taken him out drinking oh-so long ago, and managed to smuggle him into a low-security bar. They spent the day ordering him whatever he'd wanted to try, but only a few drinks had really caught his interest back then; Beer was number one, but a close second on that list was strawberry champagne. On ice.

Noticing his staring, Gabriel gave an amused look and snapped his fingers again - Michael didn't flinch this time, too intrigued now -, causing a similar drink to appear in his other hand. The archangel held it out to them, and Adam reached to take it at once. "You like champagne, do you?" Gabriel asked, amused, as the demon immediately began to sip from the glass. "Interesting. Don't know which one of you has the good taste, but I applaud."

"Adam," Michael responded quickly to his brother, after Adam had finished off the entire glass and was now nibbling on the strawberry. The archangel just seemed amused, but a tad concerned and bewildered as to how Adam had been able to finish the glass so quickly; Regardless, he didn't question it, and the demon didn't bother trying to explain, because, truth be told, even he didn't know. He did know that he was getting a shitton of strawberry champagne when he got back to Earth, because it was somehow even better than he had remembered, and he seriously wanted some more. "Slow down," Michael chuckled.

"Not a chance," Adam replied, finishing the cherry off and putting the glass down on top of the Cage. He ran his tongue over his lips, eyebrows furrowing faintly, grinning from ear to ear - part of him ached to wipe the smile away, but he couldn't even bring himself to do that. Gabriel just let out an amused hum and turned away, pausing and looking over the edge at something neither Adam nor Michael could see, and one neither of them were particularly keen on leaning over the edge to look at, either. Luckily, though, they didn't seem to have to.

"Great, there's the rift- that's disgusting…" Gabriel muttered, leaning back a little. In the same second, Lucifer burst upwards with a gasp; Michael had to take control rather quickly to prevent Adam from lunging at him out of pure reflex, the demon completely, utterly on edge from that now. The archangel managed to reign him in, but not before Adam could snarl out a string of curses at Lucifer in the process, which the Devil hardly even acknowledged, as if he were used to the profanity by now. Then again, after so long in the Cage with Adam, he would be.

"There we go," Lucifer interrupted Adam mid-curse, and the demon's fury increased tenfold, which caused Michael to reign him in just a little further. "Now we can get to work and drop this thing straight in." The Devil puffed his cheeks out, making a faint popping sound in the process.

"The sooner the better," Michael sighed, then paused, looking down into the Cage for a moment. He fell silent - at least on the outside. _Hey, calm down a second, _the archangel's tone softened, light and soothing, and it was enough, at least, to bring Adam's attention from Lucifer to him in an instant, anger fizzling out as the archangel continued. _I know you don't like heights, so if you want to back off for now while we do this, I'll understand. I'm probably gonna have to be moving up and down the chains and… it's not gonna be pretty. _

Adam paused slightly at that, frowning. He certainly didn't like the idea of that, but he hated, even more, the idea of leaving Michael alone to do this by himself. Of course, he wasn't technically 'by himself' with his brothers there, but he knew that the archangel didn't like being in control alone. And while the demon knew he wouldn't be too much help, for the most part, he knew Michael enough to know that his presence would be enough to keep Michael steady while they worked. So, setting their jaw, Adam threw one last glance toward the edge. _No,_ he responded simply, and Michael didn't respond, unsurprised by the time that the demon had actually begun speaking, as he had been following Adam's thought process while he mulled that over the entire time. _No, we're in this together, we're doing this together. I'm not leaving you._

Michael didn't respond for a moment, but the rush of warmth and gratitude was all Adam needed to know he'd made the right decision. _If you say so. _

_And, I do say so, _the demon replied steadily. Michael's lips twitched in response, taking a deep breath and lifting his gaze back to his brothers with a steady nod, confidence rising even further. And that - well, that was definitely worth being so high up, if nothing else was.

"Okay," the archangel murmured. "Let's do this."


	43. Chapter 43

Mumbling in Enochian under his breath, Michael watched carefully as the chains hooked into the bottom of the Cage loosened and fell, vanishing into the darkness.

They were working on the outer edges, at the bottom; By now, really, the only thing keeping the Cage up were the chains at the top. After the archangel had explained the counter spells that they had to use in order to power down the warding and get the chains off, his brothers had split, taking their respective corners and setting to work. Michael had - somewhat reluctantly - taken to the inside of the Cage, while his brothers were flying around it. It was the easiest thing he could think of to do without spreading his own wings and, despite Adam's objections, Michael, himself, had decided against that, knowing that it made the demon uncomfortable.

The rattling of chains behind him made Michael turn; Lucifer had managed to loosen the ones in his corner, and Gabriel was following suit easily enough, though he seemed a little frustrated with it. Michael just took in a breath and turned, pacing over to the other corner, which his brothers had yet to reach. He may be weakened, but he had an advantage; He knew everything there was to know about the outside of the Cage, from the chains to the bars, the top to the bottom, whereas Lucifer only knew the inside, and Gabriel didn't know any part of it. And, despite working from the inside, the archangel still had the advantage of knowledge over both of his brothers - so maybe some good did come out of sitting by, waiting in the wings, just watching his Father dutifully and patiently while he awaited his next orders.

As he set to work, the archangel noted Adam's thoughts drifting, flashing back, to how it had all began. The first few nights in the Cage had been the worst; The screams, and the torture. It had taken Michael a long time to realize what was really going on between Adam and Lucifer - to realize what his brother was really doing. Even then, though, he hated himself for it, but he hadn't particularly cared; Lucifer was doing his thing, he and Adam weren't even remotely close, and Michael was just worried about when the hell his Father would get there and let him out.

If Adam was bitter about it, Michael really couldn't tell. He wouldn't have blamed the demon, of course, but he hadn't even seemed to care, and he still didn't, now.

"Not like it was the worst thing to ever happen to me," Adam muttered, as Michael reached their arms through the bars, unhooking the chains once he had mumbled the Enochian spell under his breath, letting go and watching them fall through the darkness. "_That _was being eaten by those freaks." The demon's tone changed slightly, but Michael caught it. "Besides, Lucifer didn't even do anything, aside from annoy the hell out of me. I figured _that _out a while ago."

Michael smiled a little despite himself, but he didn't say anything. He turned, pausing, looking around the Cage. The smile slipped, but the expression on their face was more neutral than anything, venturing a few steps into the center. Adam was just as quiet, turning their head to look around, gaze flickering over the bars, eyebrows furrowing.

"Honestly can't believe we're back here again," Michael admitted quietly, and Adam exhaled.

"Me either." The demon grimaced slightly, and Michael closed their eyes for a moment. For a second, it felt like nothing had changed; Like they were still stuck in the Cage, like they had never really left, like everything they'd known on Earth had just been an illusion. It hurt - and it continued to hurt long after they had opened their eyes, frowning, to look around the Cage again. Then, with a low, shaky sigh, they turned to walk over to the entrance - only to jump, startled, as Lucifer swung himself through from the top, letting out a 'whee' as he landed. Michael took a step back, just to give him room, and Adam rolled their eyes at the Devil's antics.

"Brooding again, are we?" Lucifer asked sweetly once he regained his balance, folding his wings away with a grin and making his way over to them. Michael managed a half-sheepish smile in response, while Adam fixed the Devil with an irritated glare. Lucifer paused a little, taking a look around the Cage, and his confident steps slowed for a few seconds, only a few seconds, before he was moving forward again. "I gotta admit, you're a lot braver than I gave you credit for," he commented, and Michael blinked slightly in response.

"Which one?" Adam asked, crossing their arms over their chest, and Michael _almost _laughed a little bit at the question, despite himself. Definitely an accurate one. "Me or Michael?"

"Yes," Lucifer replied, smirking. The demon squinted, and the archangel actually let out a few chuckles this time, his attention shifting easily from the Cage to his brother as the Devil paced forward and spun around a few times, raising his eyes to the ceiling of the Cage, and then back down again, open-mouthed as he took a glance around what had been his prison for the longest time, longer than even Michael would dare to try and figure out. "Man… I still hate this place."

"That makes three of us," Michael sighed, with Adam nodding in agreement. Lucifer paused, looking over at them, and he fell silent for a while before simply turning away again. The Devil reached his arms out, through the bars, and brought his hands together on the other side. And, silent, he sank his weight against the bars and leaned his forehead against them, staring out into the darkness. After a moment, Michael forced himself to move, walking up beside his brother and leaning forward beside him. Lucifer didn't look up, but he tilted his head toward the archangel and demon as they reached out, looping their arms around the bars and gripping onto the outside of the Cage. Rather than looking down, however, Adam tilted their head upwards. Another burst of lightning made them both flinch, whereas Lucifer hardly reacted.

After a moment, clearing his throat, Lucifer lifted his head and looked over at them. "Gabe's getting the chains at the top, but he's gonna come get the two of you and take you to the platform first." He gestured vaguely toward the entrance before putting his arms back through the bars again. "I'm staying here. Gonna drop through with the Cage, keep it steady."

Adam blinked, and Michael just nodded slowly, understanding but still concerned. He pulled their arms out, but he held onto the bars, from the inside now, as he leaned back and looked toward the entrance of the Cage, and then back at his brother. "Will you be okay?"

"Oh, no. No, I'm going to die," Lucifer deadpanned, and Adam rolled their eyes, while Michael huffed out a low sigh and looked away for a moment. "I'll be _fine_. Jeez, you're such a helicopter brother now." Chuckling, his younger brother pulled away from the bars completely and turned to face Michael and Adam, reaching out and lightly punching their shoulder; Michael rocked a little bit with the movement, but a smile appeared on their face easily enough as he shrugged. Adam let loose a low, but good-natured growl, more playful than anything, and, in response, Lucifer's face split into a grin. "Oh, what'cha gonna do, huh?"

"You really wanna do this?" Adam questioned slowly, lips curling back, baring his teeth at the Devil. Michael just kept silent, more amused than anything - they were, after all, just fooling around, the way they had used to. Lucifer knew exactly how to keep Adam's mind off of the Cage, and he knew exactly how to keep Michael from stressing; He knew them both, to an even higher extent than either of them had realized. "_Now_?"

"Puppy's all bark, no bite," Lucifer continued to taunt the demon; There was no anger, not even the tiniest flicker of rage, but a little bit of irritation, as well as indignation, flared up in the demon's chest from the little nickname. Michael retreated a little, just to watch, biting back his laughter. "Nobody's scared of you, Adam-" The Devil cut off when Adam lunged at him, grabbing the Devil by the front of his shirt and promptly slamming him backwards into the bars of the Cage; And, in response, Lucifer's grin widened, eyes flaring a bright, hellfire red, as he shoved himself forward, taking the demon with him. And, Michael let them - one, because he knew the demon meant no real harm, and two, because with all that teasing, yeah, Lucifer had kind of _earned _it. And, besides - one last Cage Wrestling match couldn't hurt, could it?

And, wrestle they did; Adam managed to drive Lucifer to the ground, but the Devil knocked their feet from under them in response, bringing the demon crashing down right after him. They rolled around for a little, Adam snarling and Lucifer snickering, before the Devil finally took the upper hand once again, getting the demon into a headlock and holding him steady with ease while Adam roared, cursed and twisted, snapping his teeth at Lucifer's arm and fingers and writhing in the death grip, trying to twist away and growing more and more irritated when he couldn't.

Michael was just having a hard time not breaking down into laughter right then and there. He tried to help, taking some control and twisting sharply, himself, in an attempt to break them out of Lucifer's grip, but he couldn't - Lucifer was stronger than him, at the moment, at least, powers or not, and Michael wasn't going to waste what energy they currently had on a play fight.

Finally, Adam stopped struggling - and, even more reluctantly, he growled out a quiet "uncle" - and Lucifer released him almost at once, stepping back with a smug grin on his face. Adam spun around, poised as if to lunge again- and, in response, Lucifer grabbed onto both of his wrists, pushing him back and holding on tightly to keep the demon from getting to him. It didn't stop Adam from trying, though, not even for a second. He twisted, he snarled, he kicked, but Lucifer had him; And there wasn't much that he could do against the Devil, with all his fury.

"Come on, man," Lucifer sighed, amusement flickering through his eyes, and Adam stopped to glare at him. Michael watched curiously, still chuckling slightly, internally. "You're just wounding your pride even further, y'know." In response, Adam spit at him slightly; But, he did finally stop struggling, yanking his hands back, away from the Devil, and the demon stumbled a good few steps back and stood there, staring at Lucifer. He squinted, clearly debating whether to attack again or not - but, Michael decided that was as good a time as any to reign him back in. For the sake of his pride, and absolutely nothing else, as amusing as it was.

Lucifer was always the one to win their little fights in the Cage, Michael could recall. It was his way of distracting Adam from the delusions, the torture that he endured - not from the Devil, not really, but from the Cage itself. They fought, and Lucifer won most of the time, but for the most part, the torture came solely from the Cage. Once Adam had Transformed however, once the Cage no longer had any fear to twist and use against the demon, the delusions had vanished, but their little fights had continued on, and on, and on. But Lucifer had never tortured him. He'd never hurt Adam out of pure anger. Nor had he tortured Sam - no, that was the Cage's doing, as well. Lucifer had only tried to distract them, the both of them, tried to keep them safe from their own minds as best as he could without really letting anyone know what he was doing.

But Michael saw. That was part of the reason he had truly begun to see who his brother _really _was, rather than the monster that he and God and everyone else had painted him as. That was part of the reason the archangel was still holding onto the belief, now, that his little brother was still in there somewhere, the angel he had once been, and he was hellbent on proving it.

Groaning, Adam sank them back against the bars of the Cage and glared at Lucifer, who only smiled in response, victorious, smug and innocent all in one. Adam's lips curled up into a sarcastic smile right back at him, before it dropped back to a scowl a second later.

"Hasn't anyone ever taught you not to fight the Devil?" Lucifer asked playfully, with a teasing little pout in the process. He strutted forward, leaning forward against the bars beside them, looking outside the Cage. He looked upwards this time, and Adam and Michael just watched him, the demon breathing heavily as he narrowed their eyes at the Devil in response. But Lucifer was distracted now, a frown written across his face, as he tilted his head back further to look up, eyes narrowing into the distance, as if he were searching for something. And he couldn't seem to find it, because his frown deepened further. "Shoulda been here by now…"

Michael blinked, taking a second to remember that Gabriel was there, too - and that they weren't stuck in the Cage, like old times. For a moment, it had almost felt like so, but the reminder snapped the archangel back to his senses almost at once. Pushing them up, with a small grunt in the process, he moved over to join his brother, and Adam looped their fingers through the bars as they peered upwards, searching the sky for a glimpse of the youngest archangel. A quick flash of lightning made Michael flinch again, but he recovered quicker this time, more worried about Gabriel than he was about the lightning.

He could still sense him - that wasn't the problem, he was still there, but he wasn't above the Cage, he wasn't messing with the chains. Michael paused, pushing away from the bars and turning, instead, to pace over to the entrance. He jolted a little when the lightning flashed down on the Cage again, but he braced himself to move forward, blinking a little as he focused on the platform. At first, he couldn't see anything off - but then, off in the distance, there was a smaller flash of light. It wasn't the lightning; It was red, orange, even like fire. For a second, he considered that it might have been a torch, but… no, it couldn't be. It was too big. "Luci."

"Yeah," Lucifer mumbled, easing past the his brother to look. Adam wrinkled his nose slightly as Michael glanced down. Without the chains, there was no way he could get to the platform from where they were, not unless he flew. Michael set his jaw and looked back up, about to say something to his brother - but, before he could, the Devil abruptly jerked back, every muscle in his body going tense, recoiling as if something had burned him. His eyes sharpened, and burned a deep, terrifying red, lips curling back as if to snarl, but no sound left his lips.

"What?" Michael stared at him, wide-eyed with concern, then turned his head slightly to look over at the fire again. "What is i-" It took a moment of staring for his eyes to adjust, but now he could see that there were two figures; One seemed dangerously close to the fire, and the other stood a distance away, standing tall and confident. The archangel only got a brief glimpse, but just seeing the pose the figure stood in, the way they moved as they walked forward, that was the only thing he needed to see to know - deep down - who it was. His breathing hitched.

Adam inclined their head forward a little, and eased just a slight step closer to the entrance, still carefully minding how high up they were. Michael just continued to stare, slowly but surely going numb. It started with his fingertips, spread up his arms, and flooded straight through him. It was a freezing kind of numbness, something that could have easily been considered fear, but it wasn't even that - because he didn't feel a thing, not emotionally. Physically, however? He was right _freezing _as he stood there, and, in response, their body began to tremble, as if it were reacting to the numbness, as if to tell him it wasn't normal - not that he didn't already know that.

"Who is it?" Adam demanded, and Michael couldn't even open their mouth to respond back to him. He tried, he did, but once their mouth closed, he couldn't force it open again himself. And, so, giving in, he simply let his thoughts trail, let Adam know just exactly who he thought it was; And, in turn, the demon drew them a very faint, very tense step backwards, protective and cold almost at once. Their mouth twisted, jaw setting, but now he was silent.

"Micha-" Lucifer started, looking over at them. Michael couldn't look back over at him, no, he could only stare ahead, wide eyes tracking the figure in the distance as it drew closer and closer to the fire, as a hand rose, and as the other figure buckled to the ground almost at once. And then, with that, a horrible scream ripped through the air, it echoed around the darkness, it bounced off of the bars of the Cage, and Michael wanted to scream back in response just from the sound. Lucifer whirled around at once, cursing under his breath. "Fucking- Gabe-"

"Gabriel," Michael choked out, finally able to force their lips to move, but he didn't get much further than that. Lucifer was already dashing forward, wings spread, and almost instinctively, Michael had stepped forward to follow him, unfurling his own wings; There was no protest from Adam, not even as they neared the edge, not even as the archangel took a step forward to completely leave the Cage - no, it was Lucifer who objected, it was Lucifer who spun around, using a wing to push Michael back as hard as he possibly could, sending the archangel and demon stumbling and slamming back into the bars at the opposite side of the Cage.

"What the _fuck_?!" Adam snarled, more pissed off from that than anything as he pushed them up again. Michael just shook slightly, looking up at his younger brother. Lucifer's eyes were cold, still glowing red, and his hands were curled into fists, wings flapping nearly as fast as their heart was beating in their chest.

"Michael's too weak," the Devil hissed. "Stay here, and try not to get yourselves killed!" Without waiting for a response, without waiting to hear the protests as Michael opened his mouth, the Devil whirled around and, with one last flap of his wings and a _whoosh_, he was gone. Michael stared at where he had been, eyes wide, mouth still open, confusion and disbelief flickering through his eyes. He wanted to follow, he wanted to help them, he wanted to get out of the damn Cage. But he was frozen, still, unable to move, as if the order had rooted him straight to the ground. And now he could feel the panic rising up, the Cage seeming to close around him, suffocating and blinding, and that cold feeling intensified even further.

It was Adam who pushed them forward, movements jerky and fast.

Michael's wings were moving without his permission, and he could hardly feel them as they did; But he _did _feel it when their feet left the bottom of the Cage, he felt it when Adam pushed them high into the air, he felt it as they dipped, and dropped, and then abruptly stopped cold in the air. The demon grunted as he forced Michael's wings to move, miraculously keeping them up, and the archangel forced himself out of his numbness to take back some control of his wings in order to move them along with the demon. The rhythm was a bit unsteady at first; They'd never flown together, never shared control of the wings while Michael flew. But they fell into sync just as easily as they did everything else, and, once they got the hang of it, Adam lifted their head.

"Promise me something," the demon demanded, breathing heavily, not looking down. "Promise me that you can do this without getting yourself killed, Michael, because if you get hurt…"

_Yes, _Michael agreed immediately. _Yes, I promise. I promise._

"Then what are you waiting for?" Adam breathed, swallowing hard, teeth clenching. "Go help your brothers." Michael wasn't sure what chord that had struck, but it had struck something. It wasn't an order and it didn't feel like an order, as it had with Lucifer; It felt like encouragement. And that was what the archangel needed to set him in motion.

Eyes sharpening, he moved them forward, unsteady at first. Adam kept the wings moving when Michael paused, his own discomfort seeming to fade slightly with each second that passed. The fear from being high up was dissolving, slow and steady, as the demon shifted his focus to moving the wings. And, for a moment, Michael felt proud - until Adam redirected their attention back to what was going on ahead of them; There was a third figure - Lucifer - approaching the other two. The one closest to the fire was standing back up, while the other faced Lucifer, distracted. Setting their jaw, Michael took in a breath and shot forward, keeping them moving while Adam flapped their wings, hard, fast and steady, moving them along easily.

The figures were easier to make out, the closer they got. Gabriel was standing in a ring of fire, looking pissed as he watched Lucifer and the other man standing there. At first glance, the man was completely unrecognizable; Michael had never seen his face, never once in his life. But the way he stood, the way he carried himself, the way he gestured with his hands and the way he walked as he took several steps forward, approaching Lucifer, _that _was recognizable. Adam was as silent as he'd ever been, and he wasn't even furious, not angry to the point where he was going to attack, himself. He was pissed, sure, Michael could feel it - but he was controlling himself enough to stay back, as if he recognized that the archangel was the one who needed to be pissed now, and the one who needed to show it for himself, without getting distracted.

But Michael's anger didn't come until long after he'd landed. It didn't come until the man turned, pausing slightly, eyes fixing on the archangel. No emotion registered on his face, nothing clear enough to read. But a grin did split across the unrecognizable face. And it was almost warm.

"Michael. My son…"

Adam's anger flared up, and for a moment, their mouth opened, as if the demon was going to say something. Michael didn't move, didn't even try to reign him in - in fact, a part of him was almost aching to encourage the demon. Instead, Adam paused, inhaled, and reeled _himself _in, slowly and steady retreating, just the slightest bit, leaving Michael to react for himself, at least for the time being. And, after a few seconds, the archangel did react. But he didn't react to his Father, he didn't react to His words, he didn't react to the smile.

"Gabe." Instead, without taking his eyes off of Chuck, he spoke to his brother. His voice shook, despite his efforts to hold himself steady, but he didn't care. He was still numb on the inside, and still cold on the outside, fingers tingling. He wanted to look at Gabriel, but he couldn't bring himself to move his eyes off of his Father, who now looked confused. "Are you okay?"

"Peachy," Gabriel responded shortly, breathless, but steadier than Michael was. The archangel could feel Lucifer's glare burning into him as the Devil stepped around Chuck, who was still just staring at Michael, unable to comprehend. Seizing his chance while their Father was distracted, Lucifer raised a hand, fingers snapping, the fire around Gabriel diminishing at once. The youngest archangel stretched, cracked his knuckles, and stepped forward beside Lucifer.

Chuck paused, then, turning his head toward the other two for a moment. Gabriel and Lucifer just stared back, eyes narrowing simultaneously. Their Father paused, taking a few more slow, deliberate steps toward Michael. "Well, boys, it's been a long time since we've been in the same area together, hasn't it? Hah- look at that, family reunion. Isn't this nice?" He looked toward Michael, but the archangel only stared at him, not even blinking at this point, struggling to drudge up some kind of emotion - but he couldn't feel anything. Not a damned thing. "And- heh- Mikey, buddy, how've you been, huh? Enjoying your freedom?" He took a step closer.

Finally, there was a tug.

A twinge. A pull. A drive. An answer brewing on his tongue, instinctive and obedient, as if that question had really been an order. However, as he opened his mouth, something else sparked to life, as well. Something sharp, and sudden, and hot. And it burned. It burned his stomach, it burned his chest, and that burn worked its way up to every single part of his body. Spreading across his arms, to his fingers, down his legs, and then straight up to his head. It was like fire. Like those small, flickering flames had suddenly began blazing even brighter.

And that fire - that _fire_ \- it was accompanied by a rush, sudden and steady. And he didn't fight it, not this time. He let it spread, and he let it grow, and he let it consume him, let it drive him.

The archangel blinked once, still blank, then slowly narrowed their eyes. "I _was_." He watched as Chuck seemed to recoil, if only for a second, clearly not knowing what to make of that response, or how to take it. Adam was silent, but he sent a rush of encouragement to the archangel, a rush of support, and that only made that fire burn even brighter. Michael set their jaw, swallowed hard, and took a deep breath in before turning his attention back to his brothers. "You guys- the-" He gestured toward the Cage, and Gabriel looked over at once. Lucifer didn't move.

"I'm not leaving you with Him," the Devil said simply, with a pointed look in Chuck's direction, and their Father feigned a half-hearted look of innocence in response.

"I got it." Gabriel threw Chuck a glance before turning, brushing past Lucifer and Michael. Chuck took a half-step after them, but that was about as far as he got; Michael stepped forward with him this time, shoulders tensing, braving himself to move just enough to make it clear that his Father wasn't going to be getting to his brother without receiving a fight in response. Chuck blinked, backing down slightly, more or less in surprise than anything else.

"Michael, come on," their Father insisted, searching Michael's gaze, as if he was going to find anything other than the coldness he was seeing there now. "You know they're using you, right? Whatever they're making you do- Mike, kiddo." Chuck spread his arms out slightly, his smile returning. "I'm here now. You don't have to work with them anymore. You can come back to me."

Lucifer scoffed, Adam _did _growl this time, and Michael felt something inside of him explode.

"You?" The archangel spoke the word quietly, at first, his voice no longer shaking with fear, but with rage. And that rage continued to grow, and spread, and burn brighter than it ever had before. It was from both ends, you see. When one of them was pissed, and the other was calm, they were fine. One could calm the other down with ease. But when both of them were pissed, you might as well be looking at a ticking fucking time bomb. No calm Michael to hold Adam back. No worried, protective Adam to talk Michael down from doing something he might regret. Especially not now. Not now, because both of them knew beyond a doubt that whatever Michael did now, whatever he said and whatever went down, there would be no guilt on his conscience.

Not this time.

"Yes, me," Chuck answered easily enough, in somewhat of a 'duh' tone, as he stepped forward and extended a hand to his son - only to recoil when Michael did, the archangel flicking his gaze from his Father's face to the hand that he had held out for him, nothing but disgust and disbelief flickering through his cold blue eyes. Then, finally, lifting his gaze back to Chuck, Michael cocked his head to the side, slowly, and narrowed his eyes even further.

"I was nothing but loyal to you, Father." Michael's cold mask broke, just for a second, a tiny bit of hurt finally seeping through - but then, in that same second, it was replaced with anger once again. "I was never a good brother and, perhaps, I was never even a good enough son. But I stood beside you, and I followed every order you gave me without question, and when you left us - Heaven - _me_ \- I took your place because I thought that's what _you _would want. I looked after my siblings. I took charge when Lucifer escaped the Cage. I struggled, day after day, to pick up the pieces of the _mess _that you left behind, and I wondered, night after night, if I was doing my job right and why you hadn't returned when I was trying so… _so damn hard_ to fix everything so that you would want us again." The archangel's voice finally rose, trembling. "_Then-"_

"Michael-" Chuck started, almost impatient, not even a shred of guilt evident on his face - and that, that was enough to make Adam snap, a low snarl building in his throat as he cut Chuck off and took a step forward, teeth bared - and Michael let him.

"He's not _fucking _finished, you _bastard_."

Chuck stared, eyes flickering with fury, but he closed his mouth and lowered his chin. Michael took a deep breath, and Adam retreated once again, nodding faintly for the archangel to continue on - which he did, but not before backing them up a few more steps. Not out of fear, not anymore - but simply because he didn't want to be that close to his Father anymore. He didn't want to stand near him, he didn't want to be close enough to touch.

_You can do this, _Adam encouraged silently, and Michael's jaw set, watching his Father. _You deserve to be able to stand up for yourself, halo. Don't stop now._

Michael narrowed his eyes slightly, lifting his head a little bit more, and he set his shoulders. "Then," he continued, "when I had fallen, when I was _begging _for you to come and save me, your loyal, obedient soldier- no…" Michael's eyes darkened. "No, your loyal, obedient _servant_, you couldn't even be bothered. You didn't care. You _never_. Cared. And now you have the audacity… to stand before me now…" He lowered his chin, clenched his teeth, and stared his Father right in the eyes, as his own slowly began to spark with a deep, electric shade of blue. "And believe that you deserve a single _shred _of the loyalty that I once displayed to you?"

Chuck stared at him for a long time, unspeaking, as if he didn't know what to say to that. Lucifer, on the other hand, was less than silent; He was laughing his ass off, now, clapping his hands together with a grin on his face and a proud look flickering through his eyes. Michael blinked, eyes straying over to his younger brother for a moment, but his attention was quickly drawn back to Adam when the demon started laughing along, internal but as loud as ever in Michael's head. For a moment, the archangel wanted to laugh along, but all that came out was a soft, breathless huff, before his Father suddenly sighed, shrugged, and looked away.

"Yeah, I kind of figured you'd hate me," Chuck muttered simply, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "But, hey, it was worth a s-"

"I don't hate you," Michael interrupted before he could really stop himself - but, then, at the same time, he probably wouldn't have stopped himself anyway. Lucifer's laughter ceased almost immediately, and Chuck looked up at once, eyebrows raising faintly in surprise. Adam went silent, himself, but he didn't seem startled, or anxious, or upset - if anything, his amusement seemed to grow even stronger, before the archangel had even spoken up again. "See, I _loathe _you." Michael narrowed his eyes. "There's a difference."

_I've never been more proud of you than I am now, _Adam spoke up gleefully, and Michael's lips twitched faintly despite himself, ripping his gaze away from Chuck. His Father looked mildly pissed off now, mouth opening as if to respond - until his gaze suddenly flickered past Michael, and eyes went wide, entire body locking up and his pupils shrinking.

Turning, Michael and Adam saw why; The Cage was falling.

They watched, blinking, as it fell through the air. Lucifer moved forward to Michael's side, but Adam brought them a few steps forward, hesitantly peering over the edge to finally get a look at the rift below. It definitely was disgusting, for sure; Black goo spilled out over the edges, and the entire thing seemed to writhe in the air, as if it were alive. The second the Cage fell into it, it was wrapped up in the goo, and vanished straight into the darkness - but the rift didn't close after it. And, a moment later, Gabriel had dived down after the Cage, disappearing into the rift as well. _Then _it finally began to close, and Michael almost went numb again, with relief.

Almost.

A furious shriek made the archangel jump; Whirling around to face his Father again, he saw that Chuck had pushed his way in between Michael and Lucifer, watching the Cage and Gabriel disappear into the Empty. "No, no, no, no, _no_," Chuck snarled abruptly, and, just as suddenly, he had whirled around and grabbed Lucifer by the throat. "_Whatever the hell you're doing, Lucifer-"_

"Get the _fuck _off of him!" Michael and Adam roared, reaching out and grabbing Chuck by the shoulder. The second they did so, he buckled straight to his knees with a choked gasp, startling enough to make the archangel let go almost at once. Even Adam seemed confused, at least for a second, before the realization kicked in; Of course, they had said he was injured, hadn't they? Michael narrowed his eyes down at his Father, bewildered, but he snapped his attention back to his brother quick enough; Lucifer was rubbing his throat, breathing heavily, glaring at Chuck icily.

"You okay?" Michael rushed forward, concern overpowering his anger for his Father. He reached for his brother, half expecting him to recoil - which he did, but not before giving Michael the chance to look him over, making sure he wasn't badly injured - which, he didn't seem to be.

"That's it…" Chuck gasped out suddenly, gripping his shoulder. He looked up at his sons, eyes glittering with fury, and raised a hand. None of them had any time to react; Chuck clenched his fist shut, and Michael and Adam and Lucifer were on their knees, gasping. For Michael, it felt like his blood was churning, boiling, lungs collapsing, throat restricting, blood bubbling to their lips. Adam clawed at their throat in response, but it didn't seem to be doing much good. Lucifer let out a choked, distorted snarl, and Chuck clenched his fist a little tighter to shut him up, making his way to his feet. "I tried, I really did. And Michael… Lucifer, I'd expect this behavior from, but from you?" His eyes sharpened down at the archangel. "I'm just disappointed."

Unable to do much else, and too pissed off to even consider begging his Father for forgiveness now, Michael curled his lips back and sneered. Adam grinned, toothy and bloody.

Chuck narrowed his eyes, faintly, and twisted his fist slightly to the side.

Beside Michael and Adam, Lucifer let out a choked, gurgling scream and coughed out a stream of blood. They looked over instantly, concerned, and Adam stopped grasping at their throat long enough for Michael to try and reach for his brother. His hand fell over Lucifer's shoulder, shaking, and the Devil looked over at him, meeting his gaze for a second as a trickle of blood ran down the side of his mouth, dripping down his chin, onto the platform below. Adam's gaze followed it, then slowly came to rest over the edge. Their eyebrows furrowed.

And then, suddenly, Adam squeezed Lucifer's shoulder, and shoved.

The Devil gasped, stifled and choked, as he fell sideways; Michael made an attempt to reach for him, but Adam pulled them back before he could, despite the archangel's protests.

"What the…" The hold that Chuck on both of them loosened, allowing Michael to scramble forward toward his brother, but not in time to save him as he fell; He could only watch, shocked and helpless, as his brother disappeared into the darkness, the black goo swallowing him up whole and the rift finally closing up right after him.

For a while, all of them just stared. Chuck was clearly startled, more so than even Michael was - because the archangel understood at once what Adam had done, pushing Lucifer to safety, into the Empty, to keep Chuck from hurting him - and the archangel was nothing but grateful. Still, Adam didn't seem quite… done. No, there was something else flickering deep within his mind, soft words being spoken over and over and over again. Loud enough for Michael to hear, of course, for him to make out, and Adam wasn't particularly trying to hide it from him, but the archangel couldn't understand. Or maybe he just didn't want to.

Something tugged at him, deep down within. Something shook. Something loosened.

Chuck turned back to them slowly, nothing but fury in his eyes, and raised a hand once again. Michael's pupils shrunk, falling completely breathless before Chuck had even clenched his fist. But not even from his own fear - no, from the rush of terror from Adam's end, as his soft, internal mantra grew louder, and stronger, and heavier, and Michael could finally make it out. Finally understood, as that _something _inside shook again, loosened.

"No-" The archangel gasped out, understanding a little too late exactly what Adam was trying to do. Chuck halted, just for a second, but the demon didn't. If anything, he got louder.

_Get out, get out, get out, get out, get out._


	44. Chapter 44

_If you want me to leave, I will. I mean - I __**have **__to, there are rules-_

Michael's frantic, confused words still rang through Adam's ears, and that was the only thing he was thinking about. Doubled over, on his hands and knees, gasping for air, he struggled. He struggled against Michael, trying - not just to push Michael down - but to push him _out_, and _away_. The archangel hardly fought him, bewildered at first. But then, when he seemed to realize, really realize what Adam was trying to do, _then _he resisted. And, gritting his teeth, Adam fought back even farther, as their throat closed up again, as their lungs began to burn, as every vein in their body seemed to be lit aflame, blood boiling, head throbbing, heart pounding.

Adam writhed, arched his back, and let a scream rip from his throat. Not out of pain. Not even out of fear. There was nothing but pure desperation in his tone as he threw his head back and screamed, loud enough and startling enough to make even Chuck freeze. "GET _OUT!"_

Michael jolted, at once, and something welled up in their throat, something ready to escape. But the archangel dug his claws in as deep as possible, and Adam screamed again and let their head drop teeth clenching. He'd never felt so terrified. Not even as he was faced with the monsters that had killed his mother, right in front of him. The monsters that had dug their teeth into his skin, ripping flesh apart, blood trickling down the skin. The sticky, dirty blood. The memory still made his skin crawl, it still terrified him, it made him want to take a shower and start scrubbing until his skin hurt, until he was almost bleeding again. And he felt that way now, feeling the blood dripping down his chin, bubbling up in his throat. The goosebumps rose, the back of his neck prickled, like cold fingers were running across the skin, simultaneously gentle and far too rough at the same time. But that wasn't even his concern right then. As dirty as he felt. As helpless as he felt. As scared as he was. He was only truly scared for one person.

Tears prickled at the corners of his eyes and, pride be damned, Adam let them.

_Get out. Get out. GET OUT. I WANT YOU OUT!_

Their breathing hitched, vision blurring with tears, and neither Adam nor Michael were sure who they were from this time. But they didn't fall, not yet, as the archangel struggled to push himself back down, to keep himself rooted to Adam, to keep his Grace intertwined with the demon's soul. But, for the first time, the demon jerked away. He pulled, and he tugged, and he didn't stop until that connection was loosened. He didn't stop until he could feel Michael being ripped away. He didn't stop until he felt completely, utterly hollow, and then he knew he had a chance.

"Adam, no, no," the archangel whimpered, and Adam clenched their teeth, looking up at Chuck for a moment. He couldn't really see past the tears in his eyes, but when he saw the man suddenly recover, the shock vanishing from his face, and his hand raising again - this time to snap his fingers - he couldn't hesitate anymore. Lucifer had told him something once, he'd told him… he'd told him- _he who hesitates, disintegrates. _

Adam wasn't going to disintegrate, not while Michael was still there.

_Michael, _the demon snarled, and the archangel's struggles paused for a second, desperation and pain radiating from him. It hurt, it honestly hurt, how terrified Michael was. But Adam wasn't going to let Chuck hurt him. He wasn't going to let him take the archangel from him. Maybe it was selfish. Maybe he wasn't really thinking about how Michael would feel without him, too. But right then, the only thing that mattered to the demon was the archangel's safety. Resolve strengthened, Adam let out a distorted-sounding roar and threw his head back again.

"GET THE FUCK OUT, _NOW!"_

Startled, Michael didn't have time to fight. He didn't have time to dig his claws in and hold on. Adam's mouth opened, without his permission, choking and gasping. Chuck froze, as a bright, blinding blue light flowed from the demon's mouth - and then, with one last scream of protest, as Michael seemingly snapped back to his senses - too late to fight - another stream of light shot out, and the demon faltered, feeling like he was being completely drained from the inside - and he was. Michael was leaving. And with another bright flash, the light was gone. _He _was gone.

Adam blinked, slowly letting his gaze flicker around. He felt empty; Completely, utterly empty. Incomplete. But, along with that revelation, came a rush of pure relief, because it meant that Michael wasn't _there_, he wasn't in front of Chuck, he wasn't where God could hurt him now. He was somewhere safe, somewhere else, and that was all Adam had wanted. The demon brought his eyes back to Chuck, meeting his stunned stare - before another rush of blood rose up to Adam's throat, and he had to double over again to spit it out so that he didn't choke on it. His lower jaw trembled, his eyes stung, burned with tears - and, for the first time since he was a human, they finally began to spill over. Trickling, one by one, down his face, mixing with blood.

And he laughed.

"What… did you do…" Chuck finally choked out, a mixture of stunned and pissed. Adam let his gaze flicker back up to him for a second, his mouth twisting, lips pulling back. Half-baring his teeth, and half grinning, he showed off the blood that had stained his teeth, his lips, the blood still bubbling up from his throat, to the tip of his tongue. "What did you do?" Chuck repeated, clenching his fist, and Adam jerked upright, head lifting, as an invisible hand closed back around his throat, choking him. "Where did he go? _Where?!"_

Adam's lips twitched, curling back again, across his teeth. He stared at the man for a while - at _God_ \- silent and contemplating. There was nothing but terror in his eyes, a crazed kind of fear. Like an animal backed into a corner. An animal that knew it was doomed, but was still fighting. Not even out of anger. Not really. Just complete, total _terror_. And that… that was satisfying. The demon choked out a laugh, sucking in a wheezing, strangled gasp. And he spoke, choked up and muffled as the words were, despite the hands closing around his throat, unseen, invisible. "F- Fuck… you…"

Chuck's fury seemed to strengthen at that, but the fear in his eyes was insurmountable. It just made Adam want to laugh even harder, even as Chuck suddenly raised a hand, and Adam was standing again. And then he wasn't; Feet inches from the ground, held up in the air by nothing but the pressure around his throat. "You stupid… insignificant little…" He stepped forward, and Adam's shoulders tensed up instinctively, watching him near as he twisted and gasped for air. "I can destroy you," he warned coldly. "I can snap my fingers now and you- you just- you won't _exist_. You'll be _nothing_. Forgotten, nonexistent, _alone…" _He stepped closer, and Adam's struggles ceased, his own fury beginning to brew as Chuck continued on. "I made you irrelevant once, Adam, and I can do it again."

Adam opened his mouth slightly, ready to retort, to tell him that he could go ahead and do that, to tell him to go fuck himself again - but he froze. He blinked, an odd look replacing the fury written across his face, eyebrows pinching together as he fought to make sense of the words. But when that realization struck, he wasn't sure how to feel - _I made you irrelevant_ \- as if the only reason Sam and Dean had forgotten about him, as if the only reason he'd been stuck in the Cage for so long was because Chuck… Chuck had…

Chuck drew his head back as the realization flitted across the demon's face, a smile replacing the scowl, dark and cold and _evil_, and Adam wanted nothing more than to rip him apart limb from limb, piece by piece, to strip the flesh from his bones and make him _burn_. "You…"

"You didn't fit into the story," Chuck said casually, not giving Adam time to finish his sentence. The demon stared at him, his fury returning at once. "And, to be honest, you still don't. Problem is, _I_ even forgot about your existence! Sam and Dean, they were easy to manipulate. They forgot instantly. I had to get them to move on, see, to get the story going? They wouldn't have stopped trying to go back for you, if I hadn't intervened. And you just didn't fit, so I couldn't allow it. But, with everything that's been going on, I guess you slipped my mind, too."

Adam just stared at him, pissed beyond what words could describe. "So it- it- wasn't th- their fault," he managed to choke out, coughing out another stream of blood and spitting it onto the ground - dangerously close to Chuck's feet, which made him step back, much to the demon's delight - before he brought his gaze back up to Chuck's face. "It was you."

Chuck grinned. "Oops." He paused, dropping his hand; Adam gasped as the pressure on his throat loosened, allowing him to fall back to his trembling knees. The blood stopped rushing, collapsed lungs inflating once again, pounding heart slowing just enough so that it wasn't the only thing he could hear pounding away in his skull. "I _could _do that again. I could erase you from existence, make Sam and Dean and _Michael _forget about you…" He flicked his gaze over the demon's face, watching as his pupils shrunk, as the thought of Michael forgetting about him registered - and his grin widened further. "But I won't do that."

Adam narrowed his eyes, not trusting him a bit.

And he was right for doing so; Chuck walked forward again, crouching down in front of the demon, and reached out. Adam pulled away slightly, but he was jerked forward again almost immediately, those invisible hands now clasped on the back of his neck and pulling him forward so that Chuck could press two fingers under his chin, lifting the demon's head up slowly so that Adam had to look at him in the eyes, had to face that cold, heartless grin. "No, I won't do that," he repeated, "because if nothing else, Michael will come back for you. And along with him, will come Lucifer. Maybe even Gabriel. And if Sam and Dean come along? Bonus."

"If you hurt them…" Adam whispered, voice shaking with rage. Chuck rolled his eyes a little bit and pulled away, letting the demon's head drop, and Adam let out a low snarl as he tried to push himself to stand. And he managed to do so, despite the invisible force struggling to push him down; He shoved right back, pushed past it, making his way to his feet. "I'll _kill _you, _bitch_."

"Don't think of it as hurting them, then," Chuck replied dismissively, his amused smile not faltering for a second. "Think of it as me, just… writing them out of the story. You know, when a character just doesn't fit in anymore. When a plotline doesn't work. You have to make adjustments. You have to change things. And sometimes, you have to throw out your work altogether - but I don't think I'm gonna have to do that now," he added, looking thoughtful. "Not if I can get the boys back. My connection to them, it's- it's…" His mouth twisted, eyes narrowing. "But if I can get to them again… well…" The fear diminished slowly, replaced with something akin to hope, some dark, morbid, twisted sense of enjoyment. "I might be able to work with this."

"You're sick," Adam snarled, breathless. He wanted to move, but he felt paralyzed now, as if those hands had become chains, rooting him right to the spot. Chuck raised an eyebrow at him absently, not really seeming to be listening. "Sam and Dean won't come," the demon added darkly, and he wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that he didn't even believe his own words. Not really. "And Mich- Michael…" He faltered, glancing down for a second.

"You can go ahead and say Michael won't come back for you, but you know that's a lie," Chuck huffed out a sarcastic-sounding laugh, rolling his eyes to the side. "Another thing I didn't plan on, that bond of yours - but, that could come in handy, too. I mean, hey! It is!" He looked back at the demon, a smile appearing on his face. "Hey, don't look so down, pal. You know what this means, don't you? You're finally of some importance."

Adam flicked his gaze back up to Chuck's face, eyes darkening. "Fuck you," he growled after a few seconds of silence, watching as the man only sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, seeming frustrated, as if Adam just wasn't _getting it_ \- but, no, the demon was getting it. Pretty damn clearly, too. "You stupid son of a bitch- you think this is a fucking _game_?"

"Uh, no. No, not a game. A story." Chuck clasped his hands together. "And it took a pretty bad turn, touch and go for a while, but now I think… I think I might be able to make something of it."

Adam narrowed his eyes slightly at Chuck, more disbelieving than angry now. Here this man stood - this _God_ \- but he wasn't talking like Adam would expect God to. There was no true love or compassion in his eyes as he spoke of his creation. There was no respect, no caring toward the humans, the beings that he had made. This wasn't a _world_, this wasn't a _universe_, not to God. This was just yet another rough draft; Another story. Entertainment. The way he spoke of his children, expendable, replaceable… He wasn't a Father. He was _hardly _a God. And he wasn't a writer. Because even writers respect their creations. They respect the characters they make. He was just… he was just a child. A child with too much time, and too much power. A child throwing a tantrum, because he was getting his toys taken away.

He thought back to something his mother used to tell him, something she murmured in his ear every night as she tucked him into bed, kissed his forehead and brushed his hair out of his face. _Sleep well, and sweet dreams, my darling angel, _she would whisper, soft lips pressing against his head. _God will be watching over you._

Looking at the man in front of him now, Adam couldn't help but wonder how the hell she would react to finding out just how wrong she really was. Because, boy, was she wrong.

He watched, shoulders tensing, as Chuck raised a hand and snapped his fingers. For a moment, he expected pain - or, worse, he expected death, despite his earlier threats. But neither came; Instead, the area around them shifted, Hell vanishing almost immediately. Gone, was the lightning. Gone, were the flames off in the distance. The dark. The pit. The platform. And Adam found himself standing, instead, in an old, torn apart house.

There were papers everywhere, scattered across the floor. Windows were broken, the door nearly halfway off its hinges. There was a desk, pushed against the wall, splintered - but what struck Adam were the burn marks across the floor, almost a pattern, leading from the door to the desk. There was a laptop - or what remained of it, as it had been snapped in half, screen shattered, the keys on the keyboard ripped apart and scattered over the top of the desk. The drawers were open, chipped, broken, as if someone had ripped them open without any care as to what was inside. The desk was burnt around the corners, the legs shredded. There were holes in the floor, the ceiling, even the walls. Adam couldn't imagine what had happened here, but it seemed to have been a fight of some sort. An ugly one.

In the center of the torn-up desk, rested a single bottle of whiskey, unopened and unharmed.

Chuck picked his way across the floor, over the shattered glass, the burn marks on the chipped floor, through the spots where the sunlight streamed in through the roof. He nudged a chair aside, veered around the sofa, and reached over to grab the bottle, a small shot glass shimmering to life in his hand; He popped the cap off and poured the whiskey to the brim of the glass, then promptly downed the entire thing in one gulp. Adam stared, only ripping his gaze away when his entire body began to burn from the inside.

It was something akin to the way he felt when he ate something salty. Not all too unpleasant at first, just mildly uncomfortable - but that tingle turned into a burn, and that burn turned into full out flames. He faltered, teeth clenching, almost falling to his knees - but he held himself upright, snarling under his breath, and turned to face Chuck again, baring his teeth. "What did you do?"

Chuck gave him an amused look, and gestured upwards. Adam tilted his head back at once, blinking slightly at what he saw; Etching itself onto the ceiling, a circle began to form, looking as if it were being burned right into the house. Once the circle had formed, a star started to appear in a similar manner, small symbols burned into the gaps between the circle and the star. That burning feeling intensified once it seemed to be complete, but it became bearable, more of a dull ache, after a while. As for Adam, he only recognized the symbol from something he'd seen in the journal Sam had given him to read, their father's journal.

He stared at it, then looked back down at Chuck, almost questioningly, breathing heavily, mouth still somewhat twisted into a snarl as he looked at him. He didn't say a word.

"Might wanna make yourself at home," Chuck told him, pouring himself another shot and taking a smaller sip this time, a satisfied smile appearing on his face. "Might be going out on a bit of a limb here, but, something tells me that you're gonna be here a while."


	45. Chapter 45

Every single part of Michael was just lit ablaze by pure anxiety.

For a while, he drifted, almost aimlessly. No clue where he was, or where he was going. He wanted to find Adam and Chuck again, he wanted to get back to the demon, to find his other half - his better half, in Michael's opinion - to be reunited, whole again, to know that Adam was safe. But he wasn't safe, he couldn't be safe as long as he was still there, with Chuck - so what the hell was Michael supposed to do? He couldn't sense his Father. He could hardly get around, even if he could. As for the demon - they were connected, right? Always connected. And a part of Michael could still feel him, just a little, just enough to know he was still alive. But beyond that? Nope. Nada. _Zilch_. He couldn't tell where he was. He wasn't strong enough.

He wanted to scream, but he couldn't. He wanted to curse and break something and he wanted to rip apart every single one of his Father's creations himself, he was so _angry_, so blindly furious, so consumed in rage and hatred and he had. No. Idea. What to do with it. He just wanted Adam back and if Chuck had hurt him, if he had laid one finger on the demon's head, if he had caused any harm to him, Michael was going to _destroy his Father, _and this, he knew. More than he had ever known _anything _else in his entire life, he knew this.

But he couldn't do that, not the way he was. Not as weak as he was. And being like this, without a vessel, he wasn't getting any stronger. But he didn't _want _a vessel. He didn't want to just possess someone, take over their body, he didn't want to be in control alone. What he did want? He wanted _Adam_. He wanted the one being in the world that he could share that control with. The one being in the world he didn't feel like he was possessing. Adam wasn't a vessel. He was a part of Michael and as long as that part was missing, Michael would never feel whole. And he hated every damn second he had this hollow, broken feeling. He hated the insanity closing in. Flickering, tantalizingly close, calling the archangel in now that Adam wasn't there to help him. Every part of him ached to give in, but he didn't. He couldn't give up. Not now.

He couldn't go to the Empty. He couldn't go get Lucifer. He couldn't contact Gabriel. He couldn't get Amara. He couldn't get anyone. He couldn't ask for help, he couldn't find anyone _to _ask-

… couldn't he, though?

For a second, the archangel screeched to a halt. Sam. Dean. Castiel. It was completely possible, going to them for help. They cared about Adam - _Sam _cared about Adam, he'd be able to figure out how to save him. Dean and Castiel, he wasn't too sure about. He knew Dean cared, he _hoped _Dean cared, but… but, well, the hunter didn't trust him. He, likely, wouldn't believe him. With nobody else to turn to, with nobody else to ask, Sam was the only one he could go to right then. Sam was the only one who could save Adam.

A rush of pain exploded through him, no area in particular. But it burned. It started as nothing more than a light tingle, actually, before it got to that part. It was like fire, spreading through him, but not the furious kind of fire. No, this hurt. He didn't know where it was coming from.

But he shook it off, desperate, and continued on his way, because there were much bigger fish to fry, much more important things to worry about, and Adam was on the top of that list.

It didn't really occur to him, how much he was risking. How much he'd have to reveal. Chuck's presence in the universe, for starters. Hell, he'd even have to give up Lucifer, reveal the fact that they'd known he was alive all along - but even then, he didn't care. Nothing else mattered more to him than getting back to Adam again, and so long as he could do that, everything else could be figured out much later. The demon was his priority, first and foremost. Maybe it was horrible. Maybe it was _awful_, even, that he would put Adam above his own brother. Above the world. Didn't mean that was going to change anytime soon. Especially not now.

And that's how he, eventually, found himself at the bunker, no vessel, hardly any energy, absolutely, positively, one-hundred percent on the verge of a mental and emotional breakdown and fighting a pretty much losing battle with his own insanity.

The first one he saw was Dean. The archangel hesitated, careful not to actually show himself - he didn't want to hurt the hunter's ears, he didn't want to rattle the bunker. So he was silent, still, desperately trying to _think_, to consider what he was doing. But his senses were clouded, nothing but fear and confusion and pain swirling through him. Another sharp throb of fire flared up, enough to make him whimper - and he made his decision then and there. The pain was likely from not having a vessel, so he had to work fast, tell Dean everything, and… reluctantly go find a vessel and get back to the bunker as fast as he could.

The hunter was sitting at the table, head in his hands, fingers buried into his hair. Michael hesitated before he approached, slowly worming his way into the hunter's mind. He didn't want to, and even though he wasn't quite possessing him - he couldn't do so, not without permission - it still felt wrong, so, so wrong, to invade Dean's space like this. But it was the only way to communicate with him. The archangel clenched his teeth.

He found himself in a body once again. Kind of - at least, he took on a physical form in Dean's mind, to better communicate with him. He didn't bother moving forward, he didn't even say anything to Dean at first - he just doubled over, gasping, wrapping his arms around himself and screwing his eyes shut with a low, muffled sob. That pain was burning brighter than it ever had before - oddly enough, it was a little worse around his hands, now, he could tell - but he struggled to ignore it, fighting back tears as he struggled to pull himself together.

Dean looked up at once, seeming alarmed. In an instant, he pushed his chair back and stood, but he didn't approach the archangel, he just stood still, silent, wary. Michael shuddered a little, taking in a breath, and forced himself to focus. He could break down later. Adam needed him. Shaking, the archangel forced his gaze up to the hunter, blinking past the tears blurring his vision. "Wher- where's- where's S-" He flinched, biting his lip, trying to calm his shaking so that he could speak a little clearer. "I- I… where…" He inhaled sharply. "Where… where's Sam?"

"Sleeping," Dean responded at once, a tiny bit of worry sparking up in his eyes now. Michael was a little bit confused by that, at first, until he realized - right, the hunter couldn't tell if he was Adam or Michael right then, he didn't know Adam wasn't there. The thought made his heart sink, anxiety returning, wondering if Dean would even believe him, that Adam was in danger. What if he didn't? What would he say? He needed to talk to Sam, he couldn't talk to Dean, Dean would never believe him, he'd never trust him, what had he been thinking-? "What's wrong?"

Michael looked at him desperately, wrapping his arms a little tighter around himself. Part of him ached to just go wake up Sam, but… no, he couldn't, he couldn't do that, not now. He just had to suck it up and get it over with, tell the hunter what was going on. Even if he couldn't force his mouth to move, even if he couldn't force the words out, he had to find a way to tell him. He had to figure out a way to do this, because if he didn't do this, Chuck could very well _kill _the demon - if he hadn't already… no, no, he was alive, he had to be alive, Michael had to believe that. The thought caused more tears to well up and, in turn, his breathing hitched again, chest tightening. "A- Adam-" He managed to choke out, forcing his mouth to form the words, forcing the sounds from his throat, but even he wasn't sure if it was comprehensible. "Adam- he- he's- he's…"

Dean's pupils shrunk slightly, face draining of color, clearly assuming the worst. "Adam's _what?_" He demanded, taking a few steps forward - Michael cringed a little despite himself, unable to help it, as the hunter approached - and crossing his arms over his chest. "What happened?"

"My Father…" Michael whispered, and Dean stilled, staring at him. The archangel gritted his teeth, fighting back another rush of tears, this time from anger. He hated him. He genuinely hated him. He hadn't even known that was possible - and yet, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he'd always felt this way. This was just the first time he'd really been _able _to feel it. "We- my Father- he was- he was going to kill us an-" He swallowed. "Adam- he- he sent me- sent me away but- he didn't- he-" He couldn't finish that. He didn't want to.

He didn't need to.

A look of realization shot across Dean's face, eyes going wide. He didn't say a word, not for a long, long time, just staring at the archangel - almost in disbelief - before it settled again. There was no wariness, no distrust, not now. Michael wasn't sure why. Maybe he could just tell, how desperate the archangel was, how panicked and confused and lost he was. Maybe he had gotten to Dean more than he'd thought, before. Maybe the hunter knew this kind of fear couldn't be faked. But whatever it was, Dean believed him, and that was all that mattered.

"Where were you?" The hunter finally asked, his voice steady, somehow, despite the situation. And, somehow, that helped Michael calm down, just a little bit. Dean had this under control, right? He seemed like he had it under control. Calm, cool, and collected, the hunter's steadiness was slowly spreading to him - not enough to calm him completely, but enough to where he could calm down his shaking, to where he could speak a little clearer. Think a little clearer.

"We…" Michael faltered a little, but his hesitance didn't last long. He had to be honest here, he had to tell Dean everything, whatever happened, because Adam was in danger, and if they wanted to get him back, the hunter needed to know these things. "We were in Hell." A surprised look flickered across Dean's face, finally accompanied by a little bit of suspicion - and, as if that had opened the dam, Michael immediately rushed to speak, and everything just poured out. "I- I know- I know we should've told you everything before, I'm sorry- I'm sorry, but we- we had to- we were moving the Cage," he choked out, and the surprised expression on Dean's face intensified. "We were going to trap God so that he- he couldn't hurt anyone anymore, because he's injured, and- and-"

"Trap- God-" Dean managed, eyes going wide. But, then, his eyebrows furrowed, seeming to actually consider the idea - and then he just looked kind of impressed. "Actually, that's kind of…" He trailed off, blinking, and shook his head vigorously, snapping himself back to his senses. "Okay, uh- so Chuck figured out your plan, I'm guessing, and went to confront you, and…"

"And he was going to kill us- I think- I don't know," Michael muttered, the memory making him feel sick. But he continued on, swallowing hard. "He was mad. Really, really, really mad, and- he was going to, but then- Adam…" The archangel's pupils shrunk slightly, the tears threatening to rise again, but he pushed them back even harder this time as he struggled to continue. "Adam… he… he told me to go, he wanted me to go and I couldn't- I tried, I tried to stay with him but I- I couldn't hold on, I wasn't- I'm not strong enough- and…"

He winced, recalling the feeling of his Grace being ripped away from Adam's soul, the feeling of being pulled out of the demon's body, the feeling of their connection being severed.

"Easy," Dean warned, not quite soothing, but steadying, somewhat grounding. It brought Michael back to the present, at the very least, allowing the fog in his brain to clear up just a little bit. The hunter paused, staring at him, another realization settling in as he looked around. "Wait a second - if he pushed you out, then how the hell…?" He looked back at Michael, bewildered.

The archangel blinked once, then his eyes widened, the realization hitting quickly. "Oh- I'm not- I don't have a vessel right now. This is the only way I could talk to you, I… we're just…" He gestured around them, and finally hesitated, wondering how, exactly, Dean was going to react to this next part. "Well, we're kind of… kind of inside your head."

Dean's shoulders tensed at once, muscles pulled taut and his eyes sharpening.

Michael rushed to explain, once again, before the hunter could really get angry. "I- it was the only way I could talk to you- and- I- It's not like I'm possessing you or- or anything I just- I just needed to tell you about A- Adam and- and then I'm gonna- gonna go find a vessel but- but there wasn't much time and Father has him and I don't even know if he's alive-" He stopped, breath catching in his throat, and a rush of tears rose to his eyes. He couldn't stop them this time. The archangel raised a hand, putting it over his mouth. "I don't even know if he's alive…"

Meeting his gaze slowly, the hostility in Dean's expression faltered, and vanished. Like every last bit of anger had left the hunter, right then and there. His tense muscles seemed to relax, and while he still seemed kind of wary, he didn't seem particularly afraid, or mad - in fact, Michael would almost go as far as to say there was something akin to sympathy flickering through the hunter's deep green eyes, and he seemed to be weighing his options as he searched the archangel's gaze. There was a question there - a question Michael didn't know if he had the answer to. But he must have.

Because Dean relaxed, leaned his head back, and nodded. "He'll be fine. We're getting him back. Okay?" He narrowed his eyes at Michael, and the archangel just swallowed, struggling to pull himself together, and managed a shaky nod in response. "There we go. Keep it together, man. Freakin' out - that's not gonna help anybody. 'Specially not Adam."

Michael nodded again, and flinched as another rush of pain split through his hands - and then vanished, just as quickly. Dean's eyebrows twitched, but didn't furrow, watching him carefully. Then, finally, the hunter took a deep breath in and cleared his throat, taking a few steps closer. "Alright, now - you said you were in Hell when it happened, yeah? How long ago?"

"I don't…" Michael paused, faltered, and swallowed, his throat closing up the second he tried to speak.

"Not much time, man," Dean pressed, eyes narrowing slightly. "Deep breaths in and out, stop thinking worst-case scenarios, you're just working yourself up further. _Relax_. There's nothing we can do for Adam if we don't know where he is, or where he might be." The hunter's eyes narrowed slightly, lowering his chin. "So, think, how long ago did all this happen?"

The archangel opened his mouth, then closed it, struggling to think. Time passed differently in Hell, but it hadn't even felt like they were down there for that long, so it couldn't have been more than a day. Several hours, at most. And when Chuck had showed up, everything had happened so quickly - but Michael had ended up on Earth after Adam had expelled him, and it had taken him a while to remember the way back to the bunker, and an hour - maybe an hour and a half - to work up the energy to get there… "Two- two hours?" Michael mumbled, which was his best bet at this point. "Maybe more."

Dean's mouth twisted, and Michael's heart sunk slightly - that was definitely long enough for his Father to have killed Adam, but… the archangel screwed his eyes shut, swallowed, and took a deep breath in, struggling to keep himself somewhat steady. Another throb of pain hit him - this time, though, it was his head. Right behind his eyes. Colors flashed in front of him, mixing together, forming a picture. The image only lasted a second, but it was enough for him to get a glimpse of his Father, sitting behind a desk, sipping out of a glass. Startled, the archangel blinked his eyes open, sucking in a breath through his teeth.

"What is it?" Dean asked, eyes narrowed. Michael stared at him, lifting a hand to his forehead.

"I don't- I don't know, I thought- I saw my Father, but he- he… I shouldn't be…" Michael's eyebrows furrowed slightly, digging his fingers into his forehead with a deep, confused frown. "We're not connected… not anymore, not since he left, and I don't have any connections to the angels…" He trailed off, pupils shrinking, and Dean seemed to realize it when he did.

"But you have a connection to Adam," the hunter said slowly, eyes narrowing, a frown tugging at his lips now. Then, all of a sudden, it vanished, his expression seemed to light up. Michael blinked, sinking back slightly as he continued, "hey, then, he's alive. And you can tap into that connection of yours to figure out where Chuck's holding him, no problem." Dean paused, eyes narrowing again. "But if Chuck's keeping him alive, then…"

"He _wants _us to come get Adam," Michael mumbled, a cold feeling settling in the pit of his stomach at the thought - his best friend, used as bait. And who knows what torture Chuck was submitting him to now? "It's a trap… oh, no. Oh no."

"Wouldn't be the first one I walked into," Dean muttered, almost to himself, "but this time, I'm not walking out of there without my brother."

Michael stared at him, not quite comprehending. Okay, he liked the hunter's spirit, he did, and he liked, even more, the fact that Dean was willing to walk straight up to his Father to get Adam back - but he didn't like the idea of either of the Winchesters putting themselves in danger for a miscalculation Michael had made. That wasn't fair to either of them - and if they got hurt, that was on Michael. Adam was his body-buddy, his friend, his demon, and he'd let him push him away - so it was the archangel's job to get him back, or die trying. Not theirs.

"You can't…" He started, faltering, and Dean looked up at him, eyebrows raising. Michael swallowed, coughed, and tried again. "It's too dangerous, confronting my Father-"

"I'm well aware of that," Dean interrupted simply. "But, I hate to tell you, I really don't give a rat's ass. I left Adam behind once, and I'm not about to do it again, dangerous or not. And I'll be damned if I let that asshat be the one to take him down, after everything he's already been through. So you can go ahead, and go after him yourself, with the strength you've got left - but if you're as weak as you say you are, you're not going to last any longer going solo than we would together. So what do you think is safer - strength in numbers, or a solo rescue led by a weakened archangel?" He raised an eyebrow at Michael skeptically.

Michael faltered, at that, and bit his tongue. Dean had a point, he did - but it didn't make Michael any less nervous about pulling him into this situation. Even if he wasn't technically pulling him into it. The archangel lowered his gaze, unable to hold eye contact now, a rush of shame and guilt slamming straight into him. He should have been able to stay with Adam. He should have been strong enough. And now the demon was in trouble because of him.

"Great," Dean sounded satisfied, as if Michael had already agreed - stifling a sigh, the archangel flicked his gaze back up to the hunter, exhausted. "Now, then. We should probably wake up Sam, and-" He stopped, suddenly, a look of realization flickering across his face. His expression spasmed a bit, mixes of wariness, confusion and fear flickering through his eyes, and Michael only stared, bewildered and concerned, until the hunter had spoken again. "You need a vessel."

"Oh," Michael mumbled, grimacing a little. Right, he'd almost forgotten about that part. He still hated the idea of having to go and find one for himself - and, honestly, what was he supposed to say to the humans? 'I need your body for a bit so I can save my demon friend'? That, likely, wouldn't go over well, and Michael imagined it would take a while for him to be able to convince _anybody_ that he was legit and not crazy, anyway, with how he was now (which, in all fairness, he _was _crazy), but it had to be done if he was going to get Adam back, so… "I'll go, uh… I'll go find a human that'll let me in temporarily. You can explain everything to Sam while I'm g-"

"No," Dean cut him off, and Michael paused, open-mouthed, and stared at him. The hunter just stared right back, looking deeply conflicted, before he took in a deep breath and took a slow, careful step forward. "No," he continued, lowering his voice. "There's no time. If Chuck loses his patience…" He left the sentence unfinished, and Michael paled slightly, feeling the heat drop from his face at once at what he might be insinuating. "All I'm saying- you don't have time to go and make some human your meat suit, and you need to get stronger if we're gonna face off against _God_," he practically spat the word out like a curse.

Almost on instinct, Michael spared a nervous look upwards before he turned his attention back to Dean, even more confused than he was when the hunter started speaking. "What… I don't understand- what are you saying?" He tilted his head, puzzled.

Dean stared at him for a moment, eyes flickering, before he set his jaw and raised his head a little bit. "I'm your true vessel, aren't I?"

"Well… I suppose so? You're my Swo-" Michael cut off, his bewildered expression dissolving into realization, and then horror, and it showed. And Dean didn't seem to be expecting that, because his eyes widened slightly in confusion when the archangel reeled back, taking several steps backwards and almost stumbling over his feet in the process. "No, no, _no_," he insisted, his voice beginning to shake slightly. "I can't- I _won't_, Dean-"

"Alright, not the reaction I was expecting," Dean admitted, looking extremely appalled now, as he stared at Michael. "Why the hell not?"

Michael stared at him, almost in disbelief now, mouth opened, eyes wide. He managed to snap his mouth shut, swallowing hard, before opening his mouth again to attempt to respond. It took him a moment to be able to spit the words out. "What- what the- what the other me did- how can- how can you even suggest- I don't…"

Dean paused, and clicked his tongue, dropping his head slightly. He let out a low, strangled-sounding sigh, but he sounded a lot more irritated than anything now. But when he spoke, his voice was quiet and controlled, softer and… defeated-sounding, more so than Michael would have ever expected from the gruff, angry hunter. "I know what the other me did. And I'm not…" He let out a low, strangled sound in the back of his throat as he lifted his head again, taking a deep breath in and letting it out in a huff. "Ever, willing to go through that again."

"I wouldn't want you to," Michael mumbled, still half-frantic. "Dean, I-"

"But you care about Adam, don't you?" Dean interrupted him, once again, and Michael fell silent, helpless. His eyebrows furrowed, unable to respond with anything more than a nod. "And that- I don't understand it. I don't understand… you. And him. And to be honest, I don't think I'll ever understand it, not really. But I do know something - and that's when you care about someone, when you really, honestly care about someone - that level of concern, that's hard to fake. And I can't imagine why… or even _how_ it got to that point, but…"

Michael furrowed his eyebrows even further, tilting his head faintly to the side and staring at the hunter. He still didn't quite understand - hell, he was downright puzzled by Dean's words. The last he'd seen of the hunter, he wasn't exactly the archangel's biggest fan, but… Michael blinked, pursing his lips, and stayed silent, waiting for the hunter to continue.

"I know that you care about each other, and that's enough," Dean finally managed to continue, lifting his gaze back to the archangel's. "And I am so… so tired of…" The hunter clenched his teeth and lowered his chin a little. "I wanna go forward. And to do that, I gotta start walking. Now, this is our best bet to getting Adam back. So, take it or leave it… but I'm saying yes."

Michael hesitated, staring at him. This is what he'd wanted - a chance to be able to make it right with Dean, so why was he so afraid? The hunter was trusting him, or at least he was attempting to, and this was as good a chance as any to prove himself, and yet, he was just… scared. Not of Dean, but of himself. Because even if the oldest Winchester was willing to try and trust him - Michael wasn't sure how much he could trust himself.

But then he thought back to Adam, and his heart dropped.

The demon was what mattered. Michael wasn't going to do what the other him had done. At least, he didn't plan on it - and he didn't think that was going to change, not after everything. Getting Adam back was his first priority, however scared he might be, however uncertain. However hesitant. And he wouldn't do anything to put the demon in further harm, not ever. If even Dean recognized that, it was time for Michael to do the same.

It was time to trust himself.

"The second you want me to leave…" Michael started, his voice still shaking, but he was slowly beginning to calm down as his resolve strengthened, despite his lingering uncertainties. "The moment you begin to feel even slightly unsafe…"

"You give me one reason to, I'm kicking your ass to the curb," Dean replied simply. "But, here's hoping it won't come to that."

"You tell me to leave, and I will." Michael wrapped his arms around himself again. "That's what I told Adam. I still follow the rules, and- and I'll continue to do so." He faltered for a moment, mouth trembling slightly, then swallowed and looked away. "I miss him…"

"Well, let's get him back." Dean stepped forward, and the archangel winced, just slightly, despite himself. The hunter only stared at him, crossing his arms over his chest, and lifted his head. "Sooner we do that, sooner you two can go back to being joined at the… soul, or whatever." The hunter's lips twitched, and even Michael couldn't resist a small, albeit half-hearted smile in response. "So?"

Michael looked away for a moment, digging his fingers into his arms. He still hated the idea - but if it was going to get Adam back, and make Dean trust him, then it was two birds with one stone. And if it did turn out okay in the end, then… the archangel faltered, looking down. He couldn't stand the idea - the thought of the demon being out there, on his own, defenseless and facing his Father. But what he hated more, was the idea of Adam… dying.

He always thought it was God that he couldn't live without. But when his Father had abandoned him, and Adam was there, _somehow_, the archangel had survived. And somehow, he'd even thrived. In his own way. When he thought Lucifer was dead, he still continued to push on, kept living. But without Adam, Michael knew it was only a matter of time before he self-destructed. Like a ticking time bomb.

_So, get him back. Take the offer and get him back._

Michael inhaled slowly, and lifted his gaze again. Then, slowly, hesitantly, he pulled his arms from around himself and offered a hand out to Dean. "So that's a yes?"

The hunter stared for a moment, silent, eyes narrowing in quiet consideration as he stared at the archangel's hand. For a second, Michael almost expected him to turn back on the offer. Which he wouldn't have blamed Dean for, at all. So, the archangel started to pull his hand back, opened his mouth to explain that it was okay, and that he'd find another vessel-

But before he could get too far, Dean stepped forward, reached out, and took his hand.

"Yes."


	46. Chapter 46

Adam slammed his hands against the barrier over and over again, ignoring the burning pain splitting through his palms. Every time he came into contact with it, he had to jerk away again, somehow unexpecting of how much it would hurt when he touched it. It was like it got worse every time he made contact - but it couldn't be, the pain only lasted for a good few seconds before it faded. And then he would try again, only to have to pull his hands back almost immediately. This was ridiculous! He'd drowned in his own blood, choking while teeth sank into his skin. He'd been set on fire several times during his torture in the Cage. But _this_, this is what held him back? This is what contained him? _This stupid little trap?_

The demon hissed under his breath, fixing his eyes on Chuck for a moment. He wasn't looking at him anymore, seeming bored with Adam now, and had shifted his focus to a laptop that was opened in front of him. His fingers lingered over the keyboard, but he never actually made contact. Every so often, he'd pick the bottle of whiskey up and down a few mouthfuls, seeming frustrated with something, and then returned his fingers to their position, over the keyboard.

He knew the look on Chuck's face, though. He knew that frustration; Writer's block.

Adam growled a little and turned away once again, once again trying to slam his hands through the barrier. He was trying to wear it down, but he didn't think he was getting anywhere; The moment he came into contact with it, at the edge of the circle, it started hurting again. He yanked his hands back, seething, and turned away. And then, he wasn't sure why, but he began pacing around in a circle, where the circle on the ceiling would allow him to, at least. There was something, a deep, stirring sense of anxiety churning in his stomach, but it didn't feel like his own. He knew what his own feelings felt like, and he knew what Michael's felt like - this felt like Michael's, but that wasn't possible, because Michael wasn't there. Unless…

Unless their souls were so connected that, even when split apart, they were the same?

Adam slowed for a moment, looking out the window. Every part of him was aching to leave, to get back to Michael. He hated being apart from him, but he hated the thought of Michael being in danger more than anything. The thought of the archangel rushing right into the trap that was being set for him - it scared the demon a lot more than he wanted to admit. But he would.

The demon shifted his weight to one side, mouth twisting, eyes narrowing as he flicked his gaze over the sky. One thing unnerved him - the streets were completely empty, the other houses on the block seemingly vacant, abandoned. The power in this house didn't even seem to be on. Adam frowned a little, turning his attention from his own predicament to the seemingly abandoned street. He'd never seen a place so empty. It was like the only people there were him and Chuck. Of course - there were cars parked in driveways and on the side of the street, but they were empty, as well, covered in different colored leaves, tires buried nearly halfway. Untouched, unused, unmoved. All but one.

Now, Adam didn't really know cars - but he knew Corvettes.

This one was beautiful. A glimmering, bright red; Adam guessed it had to be at least 1990, ZR1, he thought, glancing the car over. It glittered and shone, clearly having been washed recently, the tires looking brand new and the windshield sparkling. Only thing, he couldn't see through any of the windows, or the windshield. He couldn't even see if anybody was inside. The car was parked a few houses down on the other side of the street, just barely in Adam's few, and the demon furrowed his eyebrows and strained to get a closer look - but, he couldn't.

As if in response to his staring, the headlights flipped on, startling the demon - he jumped a little, jerking back and stumbling a few steps, and Chuck finally lifted his gaze.

"You know you can't get through that, right?" He grunted, shutting the laptop and rubbing his temples with a sigh. "Devil's Trap. Give it up already, would'ja?" Chuck stretched a little, and Adam let his gaze linger on the car until the headlights switched off again, slowly returning his gaze back to Chuck with a deep frown written across his face now, bewildered and unnerved. Chuck paused, staring at him, then smirked a little bit and stood up. "Here." He snapped his fingers - Adam's shoulders jerked instinctively - and a book shimmered to life in the man's hand. He tossed it over to Adam, somewhat carelessly; The demon caught it quickly, wide-eyed. Forget everything else the man's done - throwing a book? _Evil_. "Entertain yourself."

"Go fuck yourself," Adam muttered, turning the book over in his hands to read the cover. Chuck didn't respond, pulling a phone out of his pocket and dialing a number, and the demon hesitantly turned his attention back to the book. _Supernatural_, it read, by _Carver Edlund_. He hated to admit it, but he was actually kind of interested… no, no, he had to have a little strength, and that meant not giving in to what Chuck wanted. The demon pressed his lips together and put the book down at his feet, crossing his arms over his chest and looking back out the window.

The car had inched forward slightly, headlights flickering once again. On, and then off.

"Becky! I'm glad you called me back, I- no, wait I know- I know- no, no, no, don't hang up, just hear me out, please…" Chuck's voice faded out slightly, and Adam turned, blinking, to see that the man was walking out the back door, closing it behind him with a sharp _click_. The demon squinted a little, frowning, before turning his attention back to the car out front. As if whoever was driving knew Chuck had left the house, the car continued to inch forward, slow and steady - Adam realized, startled, that the engine wasn't making a sound. The car was completely silent as it moved - impressive, but confusing as all hell.

Then the lights shut off, and the driver's side door opened. Adam leaned over a little, craning his neck to get a better view, as a woman got out. She looked kind of young - in her twenties, or so, Adam would say. Her hair was brown, curled, bouncing around her shoulders, her eyes a bright, sea-green color. They met his from where she stood beside the car, and she raised an eyebrow at him as she turned, completely, to face the house. Adam only blinked. Something was off.

The woman tilted her head, a sharp smile curling at her lips.

Adam furrowed his eyebrows in response, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched her. Then, suddenly, glancing from one side to the other, the woman began walking forward, slow and steady; The demon watched as she approached, curious and confused, until she stopped at the window - and then abruptly disappeared, right then and there, right where she stood. One second, she was there - the next, she was gone, and Adam was left reeling.

"The hell…?" Adam muttered, turning to look toward the back door. He could hear Chuck talking outside, voice raised, as if arguing with someone - "Becky", he recalled, the man had said, whoever the hell that was. So he hadn't done anything to the woman - she had just appeared, and then disappeared in the blink of an eye. Was she an angel…? Adam hadn't seen any wings, but that didn't mean anything. He didn't know what an angel's true face looked like - well, he did, but apparently it was different for different angels. Like Lucifer, and Gabriel, and Michael. And the same went for demons, but he knew something was definitely off about that woman. Either that, or Adam was officially losing his damn mind. Which was a good possibility.

He looked back out the window, but there was nothing now. The woman was gone - but even more unnerving, the car was gone, too. Disappeared, just as fast.

The demon tilted his head slightly, then just shook his head, took a deep breath, and turned away with a low, slightly shaky sigh. Yeah, he really missed Michael. At least he didn't feel like he was slowly losing his mind when the archangel was there - right then, and right there, Adam was sure his sanity was slipping away. He was definitely losing it, and it had to have been because Michael wasn't there. Which, of course, was Adam's own fault - but he had done what he had to do to keep Chuck occupied, and to protect his best friend. That's what mattered. Halo was safe, at least now, he was, and that's what mattered.

Adam groaned and rubbed a hand down his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. This was a great time to actually be losing his mind, _definitely_… honestly, how pathetic could he get? How pathetic was he, really without Michael? He really did need the archangel to function, didn't he?

Was he ever going to get that back?

He looked back out the window, but his attention was diverted right back to Chuck when, suddenly, the door flew open and the man burst in, seeming satisfied, a grin on his face. He went right over to the laptop, picking it up along with the bottle of whiskey, and Adam only watched. "Welp, I'm going to visit an old friend." Chuck turned back to face him. "Yours are taking their time, so, I figure, I've got at least a day or so anyway - don't go anywhere."

Adam bared his teeth in response, a snarl building his throat. "I'm going to rip your head off of your shoulders, you motherfucking jackass son of a _bitch_." He growled, low rumbling, and Chuck's smile turned a little colder, but equally amused all the same.

"That right there? That's why you're not coming with me," he told the demon matter-of-factly. "So just sit tight - or stand, whatever suits you. Oh, and read that book, too. It's pretty good." He flashed the demon a huge, toothy grin - and then, before Adam could even open his mouth to respond, he was gone. Disappeared, just like the woman had, taking the laptop and whiskey. The demon snapped his mouth shut slowly, teeth clenching together so hard they cracked.

He really wanted to rip something apart, but the nearest thing was a book, and he wasn't about to do that. He couldn't touch anything else in the house, because of this stupid fucking _trap_. Slamming his hands against the barrier, he let loose a low snarl and turned away once again, his pacing slowly starting right back up. Years of watching Michael do it had rubbed off on him. That jackass - keeping him captive and then just leaving him. Of course, Adam could live without seeing his stupid face, but the fact that Chuck felt comfortable with leaving him on his own, the fact that he felt confident in the fact that Adam couldn't escape, _that's _what irked him.

He'd never felt so helpless. He'd never felt so weak.

_Weak, weak, weak. _

Finally, losing his patience, the demon spun around and kicked the book as hard as he possibly could. It went up in flames the second that he made contact with it, flying through the air, slamming back into the wall - and then, with a _thud_, it fell, the flames continuing to flicker for just a few more seconds - before they abruptly stopped, as if the book had never been on fire in the first place. But it had been, the demon could see the corners singed, the spine burnt, the paper turned black. No, the book had been on fire. And Adam had done that. But he hadn't put it out.

"Someone's got anger issues," a voice commented idly from behind him, making Adam go still at once. A British accent, strong and distinct. It was a woman's voice. And one that, admittedly enough, had caused his heart to skip a beat, just for a second, out of fear. Well - more or less, he'd been startled. He wasn't going to admit fear when it came to a girl. The demon turned slowly, a growl already rising in his throat, lips pulling back over his teeth. "You demons…"

It was the woman from earlier, the one who'd been standing outside the window, the one that had disappeared. Adam's growl grew a little bit louder - and, in response, the woman let out a low, distorted-sounding snarl. It was quiet, but strong - but that's not what made Adam step back. No, what made Adam step back was that the second she made the sound, her eyes turned black. Both of them, entirely black, glittering dangerously, cold and merciless and _wrong_.

And it took his breath away.

The corner of the woman's mouth twitched, pulling up slightly into a low, sarcastic smile. And then her eyes were green again, glittering with amusement, rather than malice. She stepped forward, and looked up, carefully minding the Devil's Trap above their heads.

"Who the hell are you?" Adam hissed, once he had gotten over the initial shock. He stared at her, wary and distrustful, but the woman only snorted and veered around him, expertly avoiding the Devil's Trap and instead heading over to the desk. Adam turned to watch her, eyes darkening further as she moved. "_Seriously_, who the hell-"

"Don't repeat yourself, I heard you the first time," the woman told him sharply, lifting her gaze to him, and Adam went still almost at once. There was just something about her, some sense of authority he couldn't quite place. Adam had never been one to obey authority figures of any kind, admittedly enough, but this woman… something about her frightened him. Not bone-deep, cold, shivering terror. But an angry kind of fear, a wariness, really - like every instinct, every part of him was screaming at him to be careful here, to watch what he did, what he said. Chicks were crazy, and Adam knew this - but monster chicks _had _to be worse.

"You're not the demon I've been looking for…" The woman muttered, sifting through one of the drawers with a frustrated expression on her face now. Adam blinked, snapping back to his senses enough to watch her as she turned, wandering over to a bookshelf. "It's a shame, actually. You're kind of cute." She glanced at him, amused, and the demon raised an eyebrow in response, eyes narrowing faintly. "You don't have the ring, do you?"

"What _ring?" _Adam snapped, and the woman huffed out a sigh, her question answered, and shut the drawers with a scowl. She then turned, heading toward the door - and Adam stiffened.

He didn't know who this crazy bitch was, but she was there, and she was on the other side of the Devil's Trap, and Chuck was gone and maybe, _maybe _there was a chance she could get him out of there. And while he hated the idea of asking for help, even then, he just wanted to get the fuck out of here and get back to Michael. It was a split second, spur-of-the-moment decision, and he hated himself the entire time - but it had to be done, weak or not.

"Wait- wait," the demon said quickly, and the woman paused, looking back at him, and raised an eyebrow slightly, a mixture of irritation and curiosity flickering through her eyes. Adam paused, studying her for a moment, then took a deep breath and stepped forward, careful to mind the edges of the Devil's Trap. "Uh, what- what demon are you looking for?"

"He goes by the name Malfayan, I believe," the woman replied smoothly, looking intrigued now, as she turned to face the demon. "He's got some things that don't belong to him, things I'm supposed to return." An odd look flitted across her face, but it was gone before Adam could identify it, sharp, sarcastic and easy as ever. "Why do you ask?"

"I…" Adam paused, shifting slightly, and looked up at the Devil's Trap. Fuck, he really did hate this. _Every second I stall is another second Chuck could walk right through that door, _he warned himself, forcing himself to swallow his pride as he turned back to the woman. "I know a demon- named Crowley," he told her carefully, and the woman's eyebrows shot up.

"Crowley? As in, King of Hell Crowley?"

"Yeah- sure, whatever," Adam dismissed, sparing another look upwards, toward the Devil's Trap. "He might know this… Malfoyan or whatever." The demon paused, looking over at the woman, who tilted her head, looking extremely intrigued now. "If you get me outta here, I'll help you find him," he offered, and the woman finally paused, eyes drifting upwards once again, a knowing smile curling up at the corners of her lips as her expression settled into understanding. Adam only clenched his teeth, taking a deep breath. "I know the Winchesters, too."

"... The Winchesters?" Now, _that _caught the woman's attention. Her green eyes shifted back to his face, searching his eyes carefully, and Adam held her gaze, eyebrows furrowing slightly, briefly admiring the colors that flickered to life among the green. Flecks of blue and grey, soft and sparkling. Interesting. "Personally?" She questioned, folding her arms across her chest.

It took Adam a moment to respond, shifting his focus back to the conversation. "Oh, yeah," he responded immediately, mouth twisting. "Very personally."

"Mm." The woman stared at him for a moment, before a slow smile appeared on her face once again, her interest fading back into that masked sense of sarcasm, the guarded humor. "And how do I know you're not lying to me?" She purred, but she was approaching him now, still minding the Devil's Trap as she circled around and paused beside him. The demon turned his head to watch her, frowning. "How do I know it's not a trick?"

Adam held her gaze as he responded, repeating something Lucifer had once said to him. Something that he meant, whole-heartedly - even though, recently, it had been slightly tainted with. "I don't lie." At this, the woman's head tilted, a look of silent intrigue flickering through her eyes once again, but this time it seemed more directed at Adam than anything. The way she was staring at him, like he was some kind of puzzle she was trying to figure out…

It made him feel small. But at the same time, it made him feel bigger.

"Sure you do," the woman finally spoke, amusement flickering through her eyes now. "You're a demon. We lie. It's in our nature. But…" Her eyes darted toward the ceiling, the greens and blues and greys seeming to sparkle just a little brighter. Adam stared at her, eyes narrowing. "I can see that you're highly motivated, clearly enough… So I suppose giving you the benefit of the doubt isn't too far beyond my moral abilities, despite them being nonexistent."

Despite himself, Adam couldn't keep back a snort, a tiny bit of amusement replacing the caution he held for the woman. She was funny, that was for sure - the things she said, the way she acted, she reminded Adam of himself, in a way. "So, you'll let me out, then?"

"Sure," the woman mused. "Sounds like a fair enough deal to me."

"Great." Adam paused and looked up again, then lowered his gaze back to the woman, who was now pulling her hair back, tucking it behind her ears. The demon paused for a moment, watching the curls bounce with the movement, before clearing his throat and bringing his gaze back to the woman's. Finally, the other demon moved forward, easing herself around the Devil's Trap to stand a little closer to him, before promptly reaching through and grabbing him by the arm. Adam grimaced a little at that, opening his mouth to ask how, exactly, this was supposed to help - and then, just as suddenly, the woman yanked him forward, and he went stumbling straight through the barrier. A rush of that deep, burning pain split through his entire body, bringing a hiss from his lips as he yanked his arm away from the woman.

"The hell is wrong with you?" He snarled, looking back at the Devil's Trap - his eyes widened slightly, realizing that he had been pulled right out from under it - but the pain continued to linger, even then. Adam scowled, looking down and rubbing his arm with another hiss. "Jeez…"

"Oh, grow a pair." The woman rolled her eyes. Adam gave her a disbelieving look, about ready to ask if she'd actually ever been stuck in one of those things, herself, but she was already turning away, heading for the door. "Well, let's get a move on. I did my part, now it's your turn." She glanced back at him, opening the door with nothing more than a flick of her wrist. She offered him a dry little smile, eyes glittering. "Or, do you need medical assistance first?"

Adam narrowed his eyes at that, irritation rising almost immediately. For a moment, he considered just leaving her ass there - but, he had made a promise, sort of, and even if she was an annoying little prick, he had to honor that. It would bug him if he didn't. The demon heaved out a sigh and glanced back, looking around. Okay, so he could just take her to Sam and Dean, they'd contact Crowley, and hopefully Michael was smart enough to go get his brothers to help. So if he could get back to the archangel _and _fulfill his end of the bargain…

Adam took a deep breath, steadying himself, and looked back at the other demon. She just stared back at him, eyebrows raised expectantly - but whether she expected him to turn around and walk the other way, or whether she was expecting him to follow, he couldn't tell. Either way, somewhat reluctantly, he offered the woman a nod and followed after her with a sigh. "No. Obviously not," he grumbled, easing past her to get outside - only for her to grab his arm and pull him right back inside, sending a mockingly disapproving look his way.

"Ladies first, lad. Didn't your mother ever teach you proper etiquette?" The woman scoffed and turned away from him, and the demon just stared at her in a mixture of disbelief and fury as she strutted out the door, brushing herself off. "Hurry up, or I might just leave you here for whoever had you strung up in there," she called over her shoulder.

"Oh, don't tease," Adam muttered icily, not certain - though honestly not caring either way - that she could hear him. He huffed out a sigh, closed his eyes, and mumbled a quiet "son of a bitch" under his breath before he finally brought up the nerve to walk after her, grumbling.

"So, then," the woman started casually, stopping beside the red car. It was still there, on the street, as if it had never even moved in the first place - Adam frowned a little at that, staring at it warily as he moved around to the passenger side. "The man that _did _have you strung up in there - what's his deal, hm? A hunter you've pissed off? And why leave you alone?" She rolled her eyes a little, opening her door. "Not a very smart man, is he?"

Adam stared at her for a moment, debating on telling her that that man was actually God, himself - but, then, what would be the point in that, anyway? Not like that particular information even mattered to her, most likely, and to be completely honest, he would rather keep things on a need-to-know basis only when it came to her, because he didn't trust her any further than he could throw her - and he wasn't going to attempt to do either. "No, he's not," the demon finally grunted, looking down and pulling his own door open to get in. "How'd you even get here?"

"Well, we demons have this fancy little thing called _teleporting_," the woman responded with a mocking gasp, and Adam spared her a glare as he got in and shut the door behind him a little harder than necessary. Chuckling, the woman got in and shut her own door, turning the car on. "I was following a power source, actually. Thought it might be the ring, but I suppose it was just you." She paused, glancing over at him. "What kind of demon are you, anyway?"

"Why does everybody ask me that?" Adam shook his head a little, glancing out the window with a frown. "I don't even know."

"You don't know what- wow." The woman snorted a little, and turned her attention back to the road as she started driving. Adam couldn't help but spare a glance back at Chuck's house, jaw setting slightly, half-expecting the man to come back and catch them at any second. In fact, he didn't really relax until they had completely put the street in the rear-view mirror, until they were finally on a highway, surrounded by other cars and people. Then, he relaxed. He never thought he'd be so happy to see so many humans, but it was relieving as all hell after that.

The demon sighed and let his head fall back against the back of the seat, turning to look out the window again. A moment of silence passed before he spoke again, quiet, needing to break the silence, if only slightly. "I need a shower."

"You said it, not me. I wasn't going to say anything…" The woman trailed off as Adam turned to look at her again, eyes narrowing, and she only offered him a sweet, innocent little smile in response before she turned her gaze back to the road. "Well, I'm sorry, but you smell. Nothing against you, I suppose being held captive isn't exactly good for your hygiene."

"No, not particularly," Adam responded, taking on a mocking British accent in the process, letting his glare linger on her for a moment before turning away again with a sigh. "So are you always this bitchy to everyone, or do I just have that effect on you?"

The woman actually laughed a little at that, a mixture of impressed and equally irritated as she replied. "My so-called bitchiness tends to only extend to those I hold a severe amount of disdain for. And you've made the top of that list after only fifteen minutes of interaction, so I say, well played, darling. My turn to ask, now." She spared him a glance out of the corner of her eye. "Are you always this defensive with everyone, or do I just have that effect on you?"

Adam ran his tongue over his lips and bit down on his tongue, fighting back the laughter threatening to bubble in his chest. He had to admit, and he hated to admit, the lady certainly was something. She seemed to know exactly what buttons to press with him, and she was somehow, simultaneously, witty, charismatic, and completely, utterly insufferable all at once. The demon puffed his cheeks out, eventually giving up on thinking up a comeback to that, and turned his gaze back to the woman, who looked a mixture of amused and satisfied, as if she already knew she had won. Adam couldn't help but roll his eyes. "I didn't catch your name."

"That's because I didn't throw it, lad," the woman chuckled, looking over at him. Adam just blinked back at her, not really sure how to respond to that. How to react to the fact that a stranger could render him this speechless, someone he didn't even know. It appeared that the demon Adam Milligan had finally met his match, and he had absolutely no idea how to feel. "We haven't quite reached a first-name basis yet. I think I'll just call you… Insufferable Fool for now? How does that sound?" She gave him a little smile, sweet on the surface, devilish underneath.

Well, she had his respect, for sure. Even if he despised her. "Sure. If I can call you Crazy Bitch," he responded smoothly, and she huffed out another one of those soft, amused laughs that also doubled as 'I can and will slit your throat with my fingernails while you sleep' level insanity.

"I prefer Queen Bitch, actually."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Adam replied sarcastically, looking back out the window. He fell silent for a while after that, and the amusement faded, the irritation fizzled out. For a moment there, he had gotten distracted. For a moment, he had stopped thinking about Michael. And now he felt guilty - guiltier than he had expected. Of course, he still wanted to get back to the archangel. More than anything, he wanted - no, he needed to get back to Michael, he needed to be whole again. Even with the little distraction, that part of him was missing, and that wasn't going to change. No matter how many bitchy demons crossed paths with him, and how irritatingly amusing those bitchy demons were. Still, that brief moment of distraction - that brief moment of enjoyment, during his time separated from the archangel - he hated it far more than he could ever begin to describe, and he felt worse than he could ever have imagined.

"You're not pouting because of the shower, are you?" The woman's voice startled him for a second - the demon jumped, a low growl beginning to rumble in his throat, but the other demon hardly seemed fazed. She offered nothing more than a roll of her eyes as she went on. "I'm taking us back to my place, so don't start… crying or anything. You can shower there." She paused, glancing him up and down, before adding, "we'll have to get you some new clothes…"

"'We'?" Adam questioned idly, but his confusion fell upon deaf ears, as the woman was no longer paying attention to him. She reached over him, instead, and he leaned back as far as he could to avoid any kind of physical contact, as she opened the glove box and pulled out a small tin box, which she pried open one-handed and pulled out a wad of cash, held together by a clip shaped like a trident. He actually admired that for a good few seconds, before she shoved the tin back into the glove box, shoved the glove box shut, and promptly pocketed the money - all the while just barely avoiding crashing off the side of the road.

"Goodness, I've only had you for barely half an hour and you're already costing me," the woman complained, and Adam stared at her in disbelief as she settled back down again, taking one hand off the steering wheel and draping it out of her window, over the side of the car. Adam raised an eyebrow, about ready to comment on how unsafe that was - and then realized at the last minute that human safety didn't really apply to either of them anyway. "Oh, well… you clearly need help with your current taste in fashion, anyway, so I'll consider this my job."

Adam stared at her, blinking, then looked away and shook his head a little. "Unbelievable…"

"Yes, I know. You tried, though, that's what matters."

Burying his face into his hands, the demon simply screwed his eyes shut, sighed, reconsidered every single one of his life choices, and questioned how the hell he had ended up here. At this rate, he'd probably end up offing himself before he got the chance to see Michael again.


	47. Chapter 47

Possessing Dean felt… wrong.

Now, keep in mind, this was the man that was supposed to be Michael's perfect vessel. His Sword. But being in him, possessing him, his Grace intertwined with Dean's soul the way it used to be with Adam's, Michael felt absolutely, positively sick. Like this was some grand act of betrayal toward the demon, like he was somehow abandoning Adam by doing this. He hated it, he hated every damn second of it, and Dean didn't seem to like it all that much either. It took a long time of reminding himself that this was for Adam, and this was a _good thing_, for him to be able to settle down. It just didn't feel natural, buzzing around in Dean's head.

He flinched, another rush of that hot, burning pain splitting through his body. This time, Dean doubled over with it, as well, clearly feeling the effects himself now that they were connected - in an instant, and in a moment of panic, Michael rushed to heal him, even though he wasn't sure what he was healing him from. The pain confused him - until he remembered that he and Adam were still somehow connected, despite being split apart. And then it just hurt worse.

The thought of Adam being in pain. Of his Father hurting Adam. The archangel whined a little as he retreated, surrendering control back to the hunter almost immediately. Dean straightened up, the pain fizzling out, and Michael just stayed still, trying to see if he could see anything else from Adam's end, see where he was, if he was okay - but there was nothing else. The anxiety curling in his chest intensified further, straining slightly to see now, holding onto that last little bit of lingering pain as if it were the only thing connecting him to Adam. Which, to be completely honest, it nearly was. Jeez, it was taking everything he had not to retreat completely.

Dean was silent now, gripping onto the edge of the table to keep them steady. They were sitting, as the hunter had never really stood up, only in his own head. The fear radiating from the hunter was probably doing nothing but intensifying Michael's own anxiety, but he said nothing. Dean had every right to be terrified, even though the archangel had no plans on giving him any more of a reason to be. He stayed silent, concerned, while the hunter pulled himself together.

Finally, taking in a deep breath, Dean straightened up and cleared his throat. Michael didn't say a word as the hunter pushed the chair back and stood, a little unsteady on his feet at first, but gradually regaining his balance as he stepped out from around the table, hands lifted slightly as he took a look around the room, before lowering his gaze to the floor. "So, uh…"

_I'm here, _Michael murmured quietly, careful not to take control again. He didn't want to make the hunter any more uncomfortable than he already was - but beyond that, it still felt wrong as hell, to share control with anybody except Adam. And, since this was Dean's body, he should have absolute, full control, anyway. Once they found the demon, everything could go back to normal and the universe would no longer be thrown completely off balance and he'd be whole again. _Just watching. Are you okay? _It was hard to focus on anything except Adam, but he was still concerned for the oldest Winchester. It was a big step. A big decision. Michael just hoped he didn't end up regretting it - and that he didn't give the hunter a reason to.

"'Bout as okay as I can be," Dean grunted, holding his head. Michael stayed silent, not wanting to irritate him too much. The hunter was already stressed, and the archangel didn't want to add to that. Finally, with a groan, the oldest Winchester looked up, blinked a few times, and turned slightly, taking a deep breath in and letting it out slowly. "Okay… Sammy," he muttered, receiving nothing more than a hum of agreement from Michael as he headed off to the other hunter's room, stumbling slightly in the process. Michael reluctantly took some control back, just enough to steady them. It was no easier to keep himself calm, but the distraction was welcome.

Dean was silent, anxiety radiating off of him in waves. Michael didn't know how to console him, how to convince him that he really meant no harm. Truthfully enough, just the fact that the hunter was uncomfortable with him was making him want to leave. It was so different, so unnatural, nothing like the bond he shared with Adam. They really _were _one, and now Michael was experiencing what it was like to be two again. And he _despised it_. He wanted Adam back. He wanted his _real _true vessel back.

"We'll get him back," Dean muttered quietly, raising his fist to knock on Sam's door - Michael couldn't help but flinch slightly - before sinking back against the wall. He seemed to relax, if only slightly, comforted for the moment by the reminder that Michael really did care more about Adam than anything else. The archangel just stayed silent. Every part of him was itching to pace, let off some steam, but he didn't want to retreat completely just yet - so he stayed exactly where he was, _kind _of sharing control with Dean, while the hunter waited for his brother.

Sam didn't let them wait too long; The hunter looked a little disheveled as he opened the door, still exhausted, rubbing his shoulder slightly as he stepped out of his room. His hair was a mess, eyes drifting absently for a moment before they came to rest on Dean, eyebrows furrowing faintly. "Hey," he mumbled, voice still rough with sleep. "What's up?"

The fondness that rose up in Dean's chest took Michael by surprise for a second. Well, the fondness, the affection, the love - that didn't, really. But the amount that the oldest Winchester held for his brother certainly did. He didn't love him like a brother, or even like a friend - no, he loved him the way someone would adore their _child_. The kind of love a parent would feel, holding their baby for the first time, watching them grow and learn to love, themselves. And yet, that kind of love, that didn't come from just watching someone grow. No, it came from _helping _them grow. It came from teaching them, and loving them unconditionally, picking them up when they fell and holding them close when they needed it. It didn't come from growing up with someone; It came from _raising _someone. It was something akin to what Michael felt for Lucifer.

He shut those thoughts down quick.

Dean didn't do much, though - if anything, he seemed to soften toward the archangel even further, as if that revelation had led him to one of his own. But, he did nothing more than gesture for Sam to follow him down the hall, heading back to the main room. "C'mon, we gotta talk."

A soft sigh from Sam and the still half-asleep stumbling from behind them was all Michael needed to hear to know he was following.

Dean was quiet enough - surprisingly so, and even in his own head, he was as quiet as ever. To be completely honest, it was the last thing Michael had been expecting. He had expected to be shoved right down as soon as the hunter could do so, and he would have complied just as easily, but the oldest Winchester was doing better than the archangel thought he would. He was still slightly tense, yes, but he was sharing control easily enough. Michael wondered if his compliance had something to do with the fact that he had _most _of the control, and then made a mental note to keep it that way, just to keep the hunter comfortable.

He dismissed his own thoughts easily enough when Dean abruptly spoke up - well, less spoke and more _thought_, but it was practically the same when you were sharing a body with someone. _Well, don't __**you **__get too comfy, _the hunter warned, _remember, this is temporary._

Michael definitely didn't need to be reminded of that - he would choose Adam over Dean any day, for certain, but he knew that the hunter was only looking for confirmation, reassurance. _Of course, Dean, _the archangel murmured, meaning every word. _Once we get Adam back, everything can go right back to normal. _He struggled past the uncertainty pulsing in his chest, the kind of uncertainty that came from not really knowing if that would happen. Not because he didn't believe his own words, but because he didn't know, for sure, if they would find Adam. Michael exhaled slowly and forced himself to focus, frowning now.

"Dean, man," Sam spoke up from behind them, and Dean stilled at once, turning to face his younger brother immediately. "What's goin' on?" The younger hunter leaned against one of the chairs, shifting his weight to one side and staring at his older brother through exhausted, vulnerable eyes. Vulnerable - something Michael had never really seen from him before. He must only express this part of him when he was around his brother - which the archangel found extremely sweet, to be completely honest. It reminded him of Adam… the vulnerabilities he displayed, every so often, short and sweet, during the times they spent alone in their head.

His chest ached with longing, pain, confusion. He missed Adam. He missed him like all hell. Every little thing made him think back to the demon, every little reminder stung. It was stupid, too, because Adam was still alive, right? So why was he already thinking of him like he wasn't? Michael retreated a little, chest still aching, painful and wistful and almost unbearable. In response, Dean reached over, gripping onto the back of a chair, knuckles turning white. The archangel offered an unspoken apology, struggling to pull away enough, just enough, so that the hunter couldn't feel the force of the pain that he was feeling right then.

Dean cleared his throat, shifting his eyes back to Sam, who looked mildly concerned now, eyes glazed over with sleep as he looked at his older brother. "Chuck has Adam," the hunter finally said, simple and blunt, and Sam visibly stiffened, exhaustion evaporating rapidly as he stared.

"What?" The younger Winchester mumbled, slowly straightening up. Dean just nodded, short and steady, and Sam took in a deep, shaky breath before letting it out slowly, a deep fury beginning to glitter through his eyes. A dark, protective kind of fury, one that Michael could feel all the way to his bones, himself. Sam's mouth twisted slightly, jaw setting, as he raised his head and straightened up, his vulnerabilities fading at once, standing strong once again. "What about Michael?" He asked, and Dean opened his mouth, then paused, and stopped.

Taking the invitation, Michael took just enough control to respond. "Here," he mumbled, somewhat nervously. He knew Sam trusted him, but he didn't know how the hunter would react to him possessing his brother. The younger Winchester stared at him, confused, and Michael took in a deep breath and clarified, "I, uh- I am currently possessing Dean."

Sam opened his mouth at once as if to respond, then froze. He stiffened, his muscles rippling under his shirt as every line in his body was pulled taut with barely-restrained shock, eyes going wide for just that small, split second before he suddenly masked it, for whatever reason, struggling to keep his own surprise at bay as he stared at them - as if he was actually seeing them for the first time, like there was something else to see. Dean almost rolled their eyes, but he didn't, and Michael simply ended up retreating again. "... Oh," Sam finally spoke, still sounding stunned despite his efforts to hide it. "I- wow. You…? … Wow."

"Yeah, I know," Dean replied dryly, crossing his arms over his chest. Michael was silent, just watching the two now. "But he needed a vessel, and we need to work together to save Adam, so here we are." The hunter shrugged and turned away, picking a beer bottle up off of the table and popping the top off with a sigh. "Now, look, you can be surprised later, but we gotta focus on getting to Adam before Chuck…" He didn't finish that sentence, much to Michael's relief.

"I… yeah. Right," Sam agreed quick enough, but he continued to gawk at them for a good few seconds before he shook himself, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, clearing his throat. "Okay, uh… do we know… where he is, or…?" He stared at them quizzically, and Dean paused a little bit at that, lifting the bottle to his lips to take a small sip.

_Do we? _He asked Michael silently, and the archangel startled a little.

_Right, the connection… _Michael trailed off a little, frowning. He hadn't been able to connect to Adam again, so his best bet was trying to recall what he had seen before. He hesitated, then retreated completely into his own memories, carefully avoiding Dean's. He dodged a select few - particularly, ones about Lucifer and the Empty, because he still had a few things he didn't want to reveal right then, things that might make the hunter lose whatever trust he had in the archangel. He didn't have to go too far back to find the memory of the vision he'd gotten of Chuck sitting behind the desk with the glass in his hand. But he looked it over a little more carefully this time, noting things he hadn't before - the darkness, for one, the only light being what shone in the windows behind Chuck, as far as Michael could see.

He didn't recognize the house, but Dean seemed to, as Michael looked it over. Recognition stirred up in the hunter's chest, and Michael tore his attention away from the memory, rising back up beside the hunter as Dean nodded slowly and inhaled through his teeth. "He's in Chuck's old house," he told Sam grimly, and the archangel watched the younger Winchester's expression shift at once, eyebrows raising slightly in surprise. "Chuck's holding him. As bait, we're pretty sure. That's the only reason I can think of as to why he'd be keeping Adam alive."

Sam's jaw tensed at that, clearly not liking the idea of Adam being used as bait. Michael didn't like it any more than the hunter did. "That son of a bitch…"

"I know," Dean murmured, rubbing a hand over his mouth. "Listen, I'm gonna call Cas, tell him what's up. I don't know what we're gonna do here man, but- we gotta get Adam back, that's our biggest priority here. We'll figure everything out with Chuck after…" He gestured slightly, and Sam nodded in agreement, his hazel eyes cold and dangerous. "Just when we think we're free…" The hunter trailed off, mouth twisting.

"Nothing in our lives has ever been that simple," Sam muttered, closing his eyes for a moment and heaving out a soft sigh. After a moment, he cleared his throat and blinked his eyes open again, nodding slightly to Dean. "You call Cas, I'm gonna call Rowena. There might be something she can do to help - protection, something like that. And Crowley, too. We'll need all the help we can get." Dean just nodded in agreement, and Sam pulled back a little, turning to leave, but paused. Michael watched him silently, and it seemed that the hunter was about to say something else - but, at the last moment, he stopped, shook his head, and headed off.

… _what was that about? _Michael questioned after a moment of silence, as Dean turned away, himself, and pulled out his phone. Sam had something he wanted to say, but he silenced himself. Michael didn't know why, but he'd silenced himself. And he didn't understand, because it was Dean that he was talking to. And as close as those two were, why would there be any pause, any hesitation, any censoring between them? Was it because Michael was there?

"I don't know, man. The kid's weird," Dean muttered simply, brushing Michael's concerns aside easily enough and searching through his phone for Castiel's number, presumably. He hesitated, a little bit, before he pressed a button on the phone and lifted it to his ear, leaning back. Michael just frowned, but he took that answer easily enough.

Castiel answered on the third ring. "Hello, Dean," the angel sounded puzzled; Michael paused, immediately snapping back to attention, as the hunter paused and straightened up. A myriad of emotions flickered through his chest. An odd sense of betrayal, one that the archangel couldn't quite place - but also an immense amount of… _grief_. The grief that came with losing somebody. But regardless, those emotions were shoved down the second they came, as if it were some kind of instinct, before Dean had even really _thought _about it. "Is everything alright?"

"Depends on your definition of alright," Dean replied simply enough, his tone controlled and masked, bearing nothing of the pain-filled hurt that had been swirling through his chest moments before. It left Michael reeling, honestly enough, but he couldn't find the courage to say a word about it. "Some stuff's going on - it'd be better to explain in person. It ain't good, at all." There was a moment of silence on the other end, the uncertainty palpable even through the phone. From both ends. "... I know you're busy, on the hunt for Belphegor, but this - like I said, Cas, it's bad. Adam's in trouble, and we could really use your help here."

There was a quiet, almost defeated sigh from Castiel. Not enough for human ears to pick up, but Michael heard it, and the resignation that came with it. "Of course, Dean. I'll be right there."

In that moment, everyone hesitated.

Castiel's words echoed through Michael's head. _Sometimes, you have to ask yourself if a battle is worth fighting, _his brother had told him, sorrowful, quiet. _And I have… I continue to bleed, and sweat, and cry for the Winchesters. And I will always love them - I will always see them as my family. But lately, I've been doubting that those feelings are returned. That they've ever been._

Dean's mouth went dry, and Michael paused for a moment, drawn out of his thoughts. The hunter twitched, head tilting downwards for a second, confusion and guilt mixing together, clouding his senses - and, for a moment, Michael let it surround him, too, even though it wasn't his own. In all honesty, right then, it was easier to feel Dean's emotions than it was to feel his own. The hunter didn't react, not for a long time, simply holding the phone to his ear. Fingers curled around it, breathing slightly stifled, listening to nothing but static. Castiel hadn't hung up. But he hadn't spoken another word, seemingly waiting for Dean to either continue or hang up.

"... Hey, Cas-"

"Dean, I…"

They had started at the same time, but they both stopped when they realized the other was speaking. It was such an iconic moment, so bittersweet, but it seemed to melt the tension, just for a few seconds. Dean's tense shoulders seemed to relax, and Castiel sighed again from the other end of the line, this one carrying a hint of amusement instead of defeat. "I apologize," the angel murmured. "Please, continue."

Dean ran his tongue over his lips, hesitating, before clearing his throat and continuing. "I, uh- I know we haven't been on the same page recently. Hell- probably been in different books altogether…" A few nervous laughs escaped his lips, yet they sounded calm, controlled on the outside. Michael frowned a little, genuinely wondering how he managed to do that, to keep up such a mask when he was such a wreck inside. "And it hasn't exactly been easy on either of us. Even now, we're…" He trailed off, tilting his head back, and closed his eyes with a soft sigh. "Look, I just… I want you to know, man. You need anything- the search with Belphegor, or…"

"... I know," Castiel responded hesitantly, once Dean proved unable to continue any further. He didn't exactly sound like he had known, though, a mixture of dazed and confused as he replied. "It's been hard on everyone, Dean, I don't blame you for…" He trailed off, voice faltering. "But, yes, I know. You don't have to remind me-"

"Bullshit," Dean interrupted, clearing his throat as if that could loosen the lump that had risen up. Michael didn't say anything, despite longing to encourage the hunter, to support him. But he couldn't do that - he couldn't be to Dean what he was to Adam, he didn't know where to begin being that kind of… that kind of anchor, that level of support, to anyone else. "Everybody needs a little reminder every now and again, Cas, and it's not like it's been easy to tell with me lately. Everything we've been through- it's just… it shouldn't be so easy to disregard when…"

Castiel was silent. Dean licked his lips again and looked down, while Michael hesitated a little bit, desperately wanting to help but torn, knowing it wasn't his place. Finally though, the hesitation lingered, and the archangel couldn't take it anymore. So he spoke, and only to Dean, sending a rush of encouragement to the hunter, as much as he was brave enough to muster.

_You know it's okay to apologize first. Just open up the gates, let the walls down. I find it makes relationships a little bit stronger when you're not just honest with each other - but open, too. _Dean didn't respond, but he blinked, lifting his gaze. _It's- it's okay to be vulnerable toward the people you care about, Dean, _Michael added nervously. _You might realize it makes you a lot stronger than you think, too. _He thought back to Adam, his own pain rising to the surface.

Dean inhaled shakily, staying quiet for a good few seconds. Then, finally, he spoke, and his voice was a little shakier than before, but much more confident. "You're family, Cas. Somewhere along the line, I may have forgotten that, and I am sorry- I am. But you're family. We don't just need you, we- we…" The hunter breathed in sharply, then spit the words out. "We love you, man. And I hate this- this rift we've got between us now."

Castiel finally spoke up after a few seconds, a mixture of relieved and grateful. "You… you have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that, Dean." The angel exhaled slowly, and Michael listened carefully as he continued. "But we've both made the mistakes, here. What happened with Jack, and with-" He stopped himself short before he went on. "I'm sorry, I sho-"

"No- no," Dean interrupted him, firmly this time, and Castiel fell silent at once. "Just- no more apologies, okay? Not now. I- you know, I get it. It- it was Jack, and the kid…" The hunter faltered, glancing down, and Michael struggled not to let his thoughts drift in the direction of the Empty again. "Hell, I get it. You had good intentions, I know that, and I'm…" Dean paused, closing his eyes, and cleared his throat. "It doesn't matter. I don't want to lose you, too. Not over this. I- we- we've all lost enough already, and it's just not worth- it's not worth losing you over."

There it was, right there. The walls were tumbling. Slowly, but surely.

When Castiel spoke again, his voice was much softer, quiet and understanding and loving, and forgiving, and Michael knew everything would be okay between them at once. If nothing else, they were working things out. And for a moment, just a moment, it was enough to take his mind off of Adam, off of the pain and fear that had been swirling around inside of him. "I understand. And I feel the same," the angel murmured, then sighed. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Okay," Dean sighed, a soft, barely-noticeable smile grazing his lips for a second, relieved. Like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders - and Michael felt a rush of pride and relief, himself, for the hunter. He wasn't really even sure why, but that had felt… good. Really good. Dean and Castiel were reconciling - they were making things _right_, and there was nothing better than that. "I'll see you soon." The angel offered nothing more than a hum of agreement, and Dean lowered the phone from his ear to hang up, a rush of satisfaction flooding through him.

Michael wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. So he settled for turning his attention back to his connection with Adam - for a moment, he felt guilty for getting distracted, while the demon was out there, suffering. He shuddered a little bit at the thought of what he might be going through now, about the pain he must be in. If Chuck was torturing him. But even then, the idea of him being even slightly afraid, where he was, lost and alone and without Michael… the archangel honestly couldn't bear it.

Leaving Dean to follow after Sam, Michael retreated, retracting the little bit of control he had taken. He had to work on this connection between him and Adam. Even if they knew where he might be already, Michael couldn't help but feel like something was still off. Still, he was left with a newfound sense of determination, after that. Hard to describe as it was, and as anxious and scared for the demon as he was, he couldn't help but feel like everything might end up okay after all.

It was like Adam had said - hope is what had kept them together. So maybe hope is what could bring them back to each other, too.


	48. Chapter 48

Looking at himself in the mirror, Adam had to wonder why, exactly, the female demon had actually believed this style would work for him. At all.

He was all for suits. Dark colored ones, red and black, jackets and suit pants and fancy shoes. Still, with this style, he didn't like anything _too _fancy. He didn't do tuxedos, for instance. He didn't do light colors, _nothing _white, he didn't even bother with his hair most of the time. He didn't care how he looked, not really, he just cared about what was comfortable - and, for him, the suits he bought were just that. Sure, on occasion, he could rock a jean jacket, flannel, boots. But that was comfortable too. This, this was anything but comfortable, and Adam hated it. From the buttons to the tie, the tightness of the pants, the shoes - yeah, this wasn't exactly his style.

The demon made a face and looked down. He was wearing a white shirt underneath the tux, of course, which certainly didn't help matters. He brushed a hand over the suit, reaching up absently to adjust the tie. Yeah, no, this was absolutely ridiculous, he had to change into something else the moment he got the chance - but there was no way in hell he was changing back into his bloody clothes, so he was stuck with this for now. He sighed.

"Hurry up!" The woman yelled, her voice getting loud and fading again, as if she was merely passing by the bathroom. "Jeez, what are you doing in there? I heard the shower cut off almost half an hour ago! If you're not out in five, I'm coming in there and dragging you out myself - even if the only thing you're wearing is your _birthday _suit!" At this, Adam turned his head toward the door and blinked, not quite knowing what to say to that. He kind of wanted to call her bluff on that, but then, he didn't even know if she really was bluffing. Truthfully enough, the bitch was crazy enough to do just that, so it was probably best if he didn't test her. The demon narrowed his eyes slightly and looked down, finally moving his fingers away from the tie to finish buttoning up the suit, pulling the collar down a little with a sigh. He had worn tuxedos before, to hospital events his mom took him to, and to interviews, but never just to wear them.

He grimaced, sparing one last look at his reflection before finally turning away from the mirror, walking over to unlock the door. He ducked out of the bathroom, closing the door slowly behind him, and glanced up and down the hallway before just shaking his head and heading off in a random direction, his hands rising once again to mess with the tie. "There, bathroom's free," he called out, still slightly frustrated, with both himself and the woman.

He jumped when she appeared in front of him, snarled, and reeled back, hands curling into fists instinctively. But she caught one of his wrists before he could even bring himself to attack, instinctive or not, and knocked the other hand out of the way before reaching up and grabbing the tie with a huff. "Calm down, you insufferable fool," she snapped when he growled, flicking her eyes back to his face, and he froze for a second as her eyes turned black again. She only smiled, satisfied, before turning back to what she was doing. "Much better. Good boy."

Adam stared down at her for a moment, almost in disbelief, as she tugged the tie a bit, loosening it slightly - only to adjust it and tighten it again, tucking it down into the suit for him.

He wanted to pull back - and boy, did he try - but her grip was strong, unrelenting, and those black eyes weren't exactly helping matters. He jumped a little bit whenever her hands would graze against his shirt, fingers pressing just enough so that he could feel them, and he lifted his head a little bit more, unconsciously, somewhat uncomfortable with her hands being so close to his throat. And yet, at the same time, as much as he despised physical contact, a part of him ached for more. The demon narrowed his eyes, glancing back down at the woman.

"Can't even dress yourself properly…" The woman sighed, flicking her eyes up to his face. Her fingers halted on the tie when she saw he was staring, and he only blinked back at her, half-tempted to move his gaze from hers. They were still black, still glittering, reflecting the light in the hallway - and he found they took his breath away yet again, but this time in a way he hadn't expected. There wasn't much fear pounding against his chest now, but something else, and it was stirring even deeper in his gut, pressing lower and lower with every second.

She tilted her head and smiled, that heated feeling intensifying further, and Adam took in a stuttering, shaking breath when he realized what it was. He leaned back at once, hands raising, gripping her wrists and prying her hands off of his tie as fast as he could, easing himself backwards several steps and pushing her hands away from him.

He'd always been a ladies man - girls had swarmed him back in high school, and pre-med school had been… whew. Turns out, chicks dig doctors. So, yes, he was _more _than familiar with this feeling, the heat simultaneously rising and dropping, but after so long of not feeling… _that_… it alarmed him, to be completely honest. Especially since it was this crazy bitch who he hated, and who hated him, and it was definitely going to stay that way - so these thoughts buzzing around in his head had to go, and he had to keep as far away from her as possible now.

She glanced him up and down, eyebrows raising, folding her arms across her chest. A spark of interest, of curiosity lit her gaze, eyes flicking back to normal - and, no, that was it, Adam had to get out of this situation as soon as he could. Yet, he felt frozen where he stood. Regardless, he didn't even need to do anything, because all she gave was an appreciative hum before looking back up, fixing her gaze on his face and smiling sharply. "Anywho, you look much better now. Then again, I have to admit it's my own… guilty pleasure…" She stepped forward, and Adam stiffened slightly - but she merely veered around him, shoulders brushing as she turned her head to look up at him. "I do love a man in a suit." She winked, and continued on her way.

Oh, god, okay, yeah, Adam seriously needed to get the hell back to Michael, and his brothers, and the fuck away from every girl in existence. He wasn't used to this feeling anymore, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it now. The demon turned his head, watching as she disappeared into the bathroom, door closing behind her, then let out a low sigh and pressed his hand over his face, shaking his head desperately and trying to focus on anything but _this_.

He took in a breath, shook himself, and continued on down the hall.

The penthouse was huge - but he had made his way around the maze of Hell, and gotten through it, so he could, surely, find his way through this. And he did, eventually, make his way to the living room - and paused to take a look around. White leather couches, a flat-screen TV, glass coffee table; This woman certainly had some expensive tastes. But the thing that caught his eye was the alcohol - a small stand, bottles in a bucket of ice and empty glasses propped up around it. Intrigued, Adam made his way over, pulling one of the bottles out to study it.

_Cheval Blanc, 1947._

"Damn, girl…" Adam muttered, blinking down at the bottle. "Expensive taste, indeed…" He looked down at the glasses, then reached out to pick one up, carefully turning it over. He then popped the cork off of the bottle and tilted it over the glass, filling it up halfway and taking a tentative sip. It was good - as far as wine went. Adam was more of a champagne guy, but even he couldn't say no to good alcohol. He downed the glass, poured another - up to the rim this time - and put the bottle down on the stand and sipped at the glass with a hum.

He was only about halfway through when the woman walked in, and he wished he hadn't been mid-sip when she did. Her hair was up, tied back into a bun, a few tendrils curled and hanging down the sides of her face. She was wearing a sleeveless dress, thin shoulder-straps, a dark, velvet red that looked like it was made simply from _silk_ \- Adam had no idea why the hell she was suddenly dressed all fancy-like, but needless to say, he choked on his wine a little bit.

"Drinking my wine now, are you?" The woman brushed past him, not even caring about his current dilemma, and the demon just sucked in a gasp, coughed, and cleared his throat before he turned to watch her, just in time to see her pouring herself a glass. He couldn't take his eyes off of the dress, struggling to remind himself to keep his eyes _upwards_. "Not that I blame you. Suppose what you lack in taste in fashion, you make up for in taste in alcohol, hm?"

Adam narrowed his eyes slightly, bringing his gaze back to her face, once more reminded of why he hated her guts. "Wow. Nice. Almost didn't notice that little quip."

"That's because you, just like all men, have a little problem keeping your eyes from straying," the woman responded smugly, and her triumph only intensified as a rush of heat rose to Adam's cheeks, a scowl quickly appearing on the demon's face. "Oh, no, don't worry, darling. Honestly, I'm flattered. You have good taste in women, at least." She was left snickering as Adam just groaned and turned away to pour himself another glass, shaking his head. "Only teasing, stud."

"Sure," Adam huffed, pouring the wine to the rim of the glass once again before he put it back, and promptly downing half of what was in his glass. He really, really wished he was able to get drunk, and he absolutely despised the fact that he couldn't. This whole demon thing really was stupid sometimes. Especially right now, when he seriously, _seriously _needed a buzz. The demon closed his eyes for a moment.

"So, you say you know the Winchesters personally," the woman suddenly spoke up, and Adam sighed, shaking his head a little. Well, he had enjoyed the silence while it had lasted. The demon blinked his eyes open and nodded to the woman, who leaned back against the wall, studying him intently for a long time before she spoke again. "How personally?" She asked, simple and blunt, and clarified further when Adam only stared at her, "it's simply that they're the Winchesters, and demons typically don't make it out of interactions with those two alive. Believe me, I would know - I've seen them take down right many, myself. From a distance, of course."

"It's complicated," Adam responded carefully, still unsure as to how much he wanted to _tell _her. She gave him nothing more than a deadpan look and rolled her eyes, taking another sip from her glass, and he continued somewhat reluctantly after a few seconds. "Well… I kind of… maybe…" He twisted his mouth a bit, frustrated - jeez, he kind of hated this 'no lying' policy sometimes. Taking a deep breath, the demon leaned back and looked away. "I mean, I helped them stop the end of the world, sort of."

"The Winchesters, working with a demon… sadly, not too far of a stretch," the woman muttered, sipping at her glass again. "Allied with Crowley, after all, or so I've heard. Mm…"

"Well, what about you?" Adam asked after a few moments, looking over at her. "I mean- if you've been watching them, or whatever - which is kind of creepy, by the way - why can't you just find them yourself?" He looked toward the bottle of wine, debating on pouring himself another glass, but he decided against it after a moment, finishing off what he had with a sigh.

The woman hummed a little, running her thumb over the rim of the glass with a sigh. "Well, I lost track of them a while ago. They just weren't interesting anymore," she responded vaguely, shrugging. "Didn't really care to watch them, so I thought I'd simply get on with my life, keep on doing what I do… and I have been, up until now." She looked over at him, thoughtful eyes roaming the demon's face, and Adam just stared back in silence. "But I need that ring."

"You mentioned a ring," Adam recalled, putting the glass down. "Why's that so important?"

"Well, aside from being extremely powerful… It's personal." The woman brushed a strand of hair out of her face and looked away. "As a human, there were rumors- other hunters had been searching for it for a while. Demons, too. It belonged to a demon named Lilith." She raised the glass and took another sip, and Adam stilled for a second, eyebrows furrowing. Lilith - definitely a familiar name. He thought back to the Chamber, and then… to Michael. He frowned.

The woman studied him for a while, looking curious, then set down her glass. "What are you thinking about?" She asked simply, taking a few steps toward him and tilting her head. Adam glanced over at her, unable to help but tense slightly at how close she was now. Regardless, he didn't say anything, just cleared his throat and looked up at the ceiling.

"Just… Lilith, the name's familiar," he dismissed easily enough, biting his tongue. It wasn't quite a lie, but it still didn't make him feel any better about it, either.

"Well, it would be." The woman rolled her eyes and leaned back, sighing. "Lilith was quite the big shot among demons. I imagine you'd have heard her name before somewhere." Adam paused, opening his mouth slightly as if to explain that he certainly hadn't heard anything about Lilith from _demons_, but he stopped himself just as fast. Need-to-know basis, and he still wasn't entirely sure if he even trusted her. Hell, forget that - he _definitely _didn't trust her. At all. The woman hummed a little bit, studying him, then turned away again. "Anyway, the ring is valuable. And _expensive_. The things demons are willing to do to get their hands on it…"

Adam raised his eyebrows and sighed, finally giving in and turning to pour himself another glass of wine. "What makes it so special, then? Just 'cause it was touched by Lilith or something?"

"Actually, 'cause it was touched by God, himself," the woman replied smoothly, and Adam paused, hands freezing over the bottle as he turned his head slightly to look at her. She simply took a sip of her own wine and swallowed before continuing, either not noticing or simply not caring about his reaction. "It's rumored to hold the power of God. A fraction of it, anyway. Some demons simply want it returned to the Chamber - and that's what I've been hired to do, but…" She chuckled a little, glancing over at him coldly. "Why pass up the opportunity?"

Adam didn't respond for a moment, not really sure what to say. A ring that supposedly held the power of _God_… a part of the demon ached, knowing how useful that might be against Chuck. And how much they'd certainly need the help - but what was he supposed to do about that? He'd told this chick that he would help her find Sam and Dean and Crowley… though, he'd never said he'd help her get the ring, specifically. The demon pursed his lips and looked away for a moment, continuing what he was doing and pouring himself another glass of wine.

It wasn't as if he were attached to her; It'd be easy to double-cross her, and he knew that. He already seemed to have her trust, otherwise she wouldn't be telling him all this, right? And if this ring really could help them against God, then… well, it was like she had said, herself - why pass up the opportunity? Adam's mouth twisted slightly, taking a long sip of his drink.

"My turn to ask," the woman hummed, and Adam raised his head slightly, looking over at her again. "You said you'd help me find Crowley, and the Winchesters…" She glanced him up and down, licking her lips, before drawing her gaze back to his face and quirking an eyebrow. "Well, we should most definitely get a move on things, hm? Where are they?"

"Yeah…" Adam trailed off, inhaling through his teeth. _That _was a problem, definitely, because he didn't even know where to begin. Well- he knew where to begin, but he didn't know how far it was going to get either of them. "About that-"

"Here it is," the woman hummed.

Adam spared her an irritated look, and took a deep breath before he continued, scowling slightly now. "Look, bitch, you can say what you will, but I don't lie. I know where they are - at least, I know the general area, okay? What I don't know is how to get there," he snapped, and the woman raised her eyebrows slightly, but gestured for him to continue. The demon paused for a moment, thinking back. Kansas… that had been the last place he recognized, at least, the school, the cemetery - and they surely hadn't gone much farther from there. The bunker had to be somewhere in Kansas. "The Winchesters are in Kansas. Some kind of underground bunker."

The woman sighed a little, shaking her head. "Of course they are," she muttered, taking a sip of her wine and crossing one leg over the other. Adam's eyes darted downwards at once, and he had a hard time lifting them back to her face after that. "And Crowley?"

"Last I checked, he was in Kansas, too. But he left - somewhere with his Mom, so… I don't know." Adam offered a helpless shrug when the woman raised her eyebrows, a mixture of puzzled and amused. "I really… don't know. After we got the souls back to Hell, everyone kind of just split up. Crowley left with Rowena and I went with the Winchesters- until…"

"Until whoever had you back there caught up to you," the woman finished, an amused smile curling at her lips, and Adam offered the other demon a slightly irritated glare as she continued. "You don't know how to be a demon, do you? Teleporting, powers, the like - you have absolutely no idea what you are, how _powerful _you can really be?" She leaned forward a little, and Adam looked away for a moment, frustrated. "I mean, really - what kind of _demon _are you?"

Adam closed his eyes and clenched his teeth, a low growl rumbling in his chest. A part of him wanted to attack - but the rest of him wouldn't allow it. One, because she was a girl, and two, because she was a girl who could probably kick his ass six ways to Sunday, and he wasn't about to test that theory and lose miserably to a _chick_. Honestly, fuck that. Some things just weren't worth it. He kept his eyes shut for a while, struggling to keep himself calm.

"You really don't know, do you?" The woman sounded puzzled now, no longer amused. Adam sighed, still irritated, and didn't respond. "You don't have the slightest _clue_." The demon cracked his eyes open and looked over at her, eyes narrowing slightly in a glare, and she tilted her head. "Seems like I'm going to have to fix more about you than your fashion sense."

Adam blinked, at that, confusion replacing his irritation; Before he could react, however, the woman downed the rest of her glass and set it down on the stand, brushing herself off. "However, until then, I suppose, we'll stick to driving. Road trip to Kansas, how fun," she mused, almost sarcastically, and Adam furrowed his eyebrows slightly as he watched her move forward. She reached out, fingers grazing his tie yet again, and he stiffened, head raising.

She only offered an amused, dry smile before she pulled her hand away, tugging slightly on the tie in the process. "We'll leave tonight."

"Mhm." Adam stared down at his tie, then flicked his gaze back to the woman's hand, which was still hovering just inches away from his chest. But then she had pulled back, and Adam had to reel back quite a bit himself to keep from leaning after her, aching for contact and yet hating it at the same time. He took a deep breath and took another sip of his wine, watching from the corner of his eye as she turned and headed off - only to pause in the doorway, glancing back.

"By the way." Her eyes glittered, the greens and blues and greys flickering together as she smiled back at him, and that hot feeling was back in the pit of his stomach. "The name's Bela."

And then she was gone.

Adam stare at where she had been for a moment, a mixture of emotions rising to his chest. Irritation and frustration and anger were just a select few, but there was also something else there, just below the surface, but it was something he didn't even want to begin trying to identify. The demon looked down, finishing off the rest of his wine, and screwed his eyes shut, sighing. _I'm coming, halo._


	49. Chapter 49

"_Look. I'm not saying angels are dicks. I'm just saying… okay, yeah, I'm saying angels are dicks. What were you thinking, with Zachariah?" Laughter followed Adam's words from both ends. Michael was practically doubled over, gasping for breath, while the human just grinned. This was back before Adam's Transformation, before Michael's insanity. When they all still held on to the hope that they could get out. Lucifer, in front of them, just smiled dryly and rolled his eyes. "Seriously Michael, that guy sucked __**ass**__. He couldn't even do his job right!" Adam exclaimed._

"_I have to agree with Adam here, yeah." Lucifer rubbed a hand over his mouth, and Michael looked up at his younger brother, the grin on their face widening even further as the Devil just shrugged. "Zachariah was a douchebag. A useless douchebag."_

"_I know," Michael wheezed, and started laughing again when Adam actually snorted. "Hey, come on! I didn't have many options in Heaven!" The archangel objected, straightening up. "Castiel rebelled, Raphael, like… Man I don't even know what's up with Raphael anymore. You know I hardly see him in Heaven anymore?" Lucifer raised an eyebrow at that, curious._

_Adam snickered. "That's because you got dicks like Zachariah stealing the good angels' jobs." At this, Michael started laughing again, as did Adam. "I'm serious."_

"_Yeah, you sound like it," Michael teased, a grin on his face now as he slumped back against the bars of the Cage, another rush of laughter bubbling from Adam's lips. "Man, we don't even need Zachariah up there anyway. And, honestly, I've been running Heaven fine without Raphael," the archangel boasted proudly. "Who needs 'em? I'm a good enough ruler." Adam and Lucifer both burst into laughter then, and Michael blinked, offended. "Hey! Heaven would have crumbled to ashes if it weren't for me."_

"_Hate to tell you, bro," Lucifer chuckled, "but Heaven's already crumbled."_

"_See, that's true," Adam cut in. "But it's Zachariah's fault."_

_Lucifer burst out laughing again, grabbing onto the bars behind him as much as he could to keep himself steady. "This seems personal now," Michael commented, amused, watching his brother curiously before turning his attention back to Adam. "What do you have against him?"_

"_Hey, if it looks like a dick and quacks like a dick…" Adam spread their arms out, grinning ear to ear as Lucifer doubled over again. "Then it's gotta be a fucking dick. Zachariah's a dick!"_

_All three of them started laughing again at that._

* * *

"Well, look at that - sounds like the three of you had a grand ol' time in the Cage."

Michael didn't turn, just blinked, staring ahead almost blankly. The memory twisted and faded into the darkness the second his mind turned in Dean's direction, though he struggled to hold onto it before it could completely disappear. It was odd, seeing him and Adam from a different perspective. Even weirder seeing them and Lucifer - it was fuzzy, uncertain, nothing close to being as clear as it was when he and Adam were sharing a vessel, when they were sharing _souls_. It was something the archangel thought he'd never have to experience. And now that he was, he almost couldn't remember what it was like feeling whole again.

He looked down, rubbing his arms slightly before turning, hesitantly, to face Dean. The hunter had his head turned, looking around the darkness somewhat warily, as if he expected something to pop out at him - Michael couldn't blame him. They were both already on edge - and Dean more so than the archangel, and for good reasons, for sure. He didn't move much, simply wrapped his arms around himself a little tighter and looked down. "Wasn't all bad."

Dean glanced over at him, silent for a second, then shrugged and looked away again. He continued glancing around for a good few moments, just taking in everything in - and he seemed to deem the place somewhat secure, because he relaxed, shoulders dropping, and turned his full attention back to Michael, chin raising, eyes narrowed. Not quite hostile, more inquisitive; Michael paused and tilted his head toward the hunter, wondering if he had a question or something, and ready to answer as honestly as possible. A part of him recognized that he could always just read the hunter's thoughts - but he didn't want to do that.

"I still don't understand you…" Dean sighed, rubbing a hand over his mouth and glancing over at the archangel. Michael furrowed his eyebrows slightly, silent and understanding, yet confused at the same time. "I mean, I can see it, and I can feel it for myself - but it is still just so damn hard to grasp the fact that you… _actually…_" He shook his head a little, almost in disbelief.

"Care?" Michael finished quietly, and Dean didn't answer, but the expression on his face was enough of a confirmation. The archangel looked away, eyes flickering around the darkness. Honestly, he wished he had an answer to that. He wished he could explain why he cared - and beyond that, he wished he could explain it in a way that _could _make Dean understand. After everything the hunter went through, Michael didn't expect trust. Hell, he hadn't expected the level of trust he'd been given, when Dean had let him in, in the first place. He didn't expect it, and he wasn't going to ask for it unfairly. To be honest? Dean deserved to hate him.

"Jeez, you're worse than me," Dean mumbled, eyebrows furrowing. Michael stared at him, confused at first - but then he understood. Yes, he could feel it; The self-loathing that swirled around inside of the hunter, the anger and the pain and the absolute hatred that he held only for himself. But he not only felt it; He _understood _it. Down to every second-guessing, idle comment in the back of his mind. Down to every hesitant step forward, and down to every immediate hundred steps backwards. Down to every moment he stood, awake, alert, eyes wide open, his mind spinning and swirling with the thoughts he despised. With the reminders of how horrible he was and how much worse he could be, how much worse he was going to be.

Michael understood what it was like to hate himself, for sure.

But at the same time? The opposite of love isn't hate. It's indifference. And he can hate himself, he did hate himself, down to every last core of his being. But it seemed like Dean had already gotten past that stage; And he'd moved straight on to just not caring. There were no more voices in his head, there was no more second-guessing his own steps and sitting up at night thinking about how horrible he was, because he didn't care enough about himself to do that anymore. He didn't care enough about himself to hate himself. He was just… done with himself.

The hunter said nothing, but the way his mouth twisted, the way his chin lowered, head ducking, almost in a nod - and yet, not quite - was enough confirmation for the both of them. Michael just stared at him, confused and scared, wondering how long it would be until he gave up on himself as well, and what would become of him when he did. Because the moment he stopped caring enough about himself to stop caring about what he was, and what he could become, that was the moment the insanity would come back to rip him apart limb from limb. And it was so close now. Without Adam, it was so damn close, and Michael knew it. He knew how easy it would be to let himself go, to retreat into the insanity, to the hatred, to let it numb him, without the demon.

But he didn't want that.

Dean shifted a little on his feet, silent, calm, controlled. Internally, though, he was hesitant. Confused. He wanted to say something - but what was there to say? He had no advice for the archangel. He had turned out worse, himself, so what could he possibly say to Michael now? Neither of them knew what to say, not until the darkness rattled, and a distinct voice broke through - a familiar one, to both. It was Castiel, and Dean reacted quicker than ever, as if he'd been waiting for it.; In an instant, he disappeared, taking control back immediately.

After a moment, Michael rose up along with him to watch, careful not to take any control - and noting they were back in the main room, leaning against one of the tables. The second he rose up along with Dean, though, he watched Castiel's steps slow, and falter, and then he froze, staring at Dean through wide blue eyes. And in the next instant, there was a blade in his hand, and he was approaching again - but this time, guarded, cautious, wary and _mean_.

"Whoa, there," Dean sounded bewildered, drawing back a few steps and nearly stumbling over his feet in his haste to get away - and a small part of Michael noted how he backed away from Castiel and yet, when it was Michael, or Adam, approaching, he couldn't seem to care less. "Cas, what the hell?"

"Get out of him," Castiel growled, and Michael stiffened. Oh, god, that hurt. There was nothing but distrust blazing in his brother's eyes now, nothing even remotely close to the warmth and understanding that Michael had seen before. There was no room for trust in those cold eyes, no room for warmth - not even a chance. The archangel faltered, the pain exploding in his chest, and in response, Dean grunted, grimaced, and took another half-stumbling step back.

"Cas, it's me," Dean insisted, teeth clenched, but his words fell upon deaf ears. Castiel continued forward, and with each step that he took, the hunter backed away. Michael didn't know what to do, or what to say - but he knew he had to get Dean out of this situation fast. He wasn't sure what lengths Castiel would go to here, but he knew that blade would only be hurting one of them, and it sure as hell wasn't going to be Michael. The archangel hesitantly rose up to take control along with Dean, careful not to shove him down. The hunter fought a little at first, as if that had been what he was expecting - but then he stopped, realizing Michael wasn't trying to keep him down, and was simply… sharing control with him, as he did with Adam.

"Castiel, let me explain- please-" Michael begged, as Dean continued backing them away, eyeing the blade in Castiel's hand warily. Castiel's eyes sharpened, darkening with rage. "I- I understand you- you have every right to be wary but I swear, I'm not going to do anything." He held up his hands, meant to be a placating gesture, but if anything it just made Castiel stiffen.

"Cas, _seriously_," Dean was talking now, and right then he just sounded pissed off. That gave Castiel paused, the angel staring at them in a mixture of confusion and wariness. "Just calm down, dammit. Let us explain before you go stabbing me through the chest, alright? Not like that'd work on an archangel anyway, so just." The hunter extended a hand, palm-up toward Castiel, looking down at the blade before raising his gaze back to Castiel's face. "Just stop."

The angel stared at them, eyes narrowed. But, slowly, he stopped, and stepped back, lowering the blade. He didn't put it away, though, simply dropped his hands to his sides and brought the blade around, pressing it into the inside of his arm and giving them nothing more than a cold nod. "Explain," he growled, glaring, still not quite believing Dean was in control. That still hurt.

"There we go. Nice and easy," Dean sighed, dropping his hands as well. The movement made Castiel tense again, but he didn't move forward, just stood still and stared at him. Michael retreated a little, struggling to remind himself that they had every right to be angry and wary after what the other him did, but he couldn't stifle the pain flickering through his chest. Dean only sighed and took in a deep breath, opening his mouth to speak - and Sam chose that moment to walk back into the room, phone in hand, mouth open, only to pause at the sight in front of him. The hunter's eyes darted to Dean, and then to Castiel, and then to the blade and a sparkle of understanding lit his gaze. "Hey, Sammy," Dean greeted dryly.

"Everything okay in here?" Sam questioned, and paused, turning back to the phone. "Yeah, Crowley, I'm hanging up now. Tell Rowena- … okay, wow, bye, then…" The hunter pulled the phone away from his ear, muttering something that sounded like 'rude' - Michael guessed that the demon had hung up on him - before he turned back to Dean and Castiel, eyebrows raising.

"No," Castiel grumbled, looking back toward Dean for a moment. "Michael is possessing Dean."

"I know," Sam responded easily enough, and Castiel's eyes widened slightly, throwing the hunter a bewildered glance. Dean just sent a smug look his way, then leaned back and rubbed his hand down his face, pinching the bridge of his nose with a soft, silent sigh. Sam stuffed his phone into his pocket, walking forward with a small, sympathetic smile on his face. "It's okay. Look, Dean's fine - it's just temporary, I think, until we get Adam back?" He checked, looking at his brother, and Dean nodded faintly in response - while Michael flinched slightly at the mention of Adam, silently kicking himself for even getting slightly distracted from that.

"And speaking of Adam, don't we have- I don't know, a little bigger fish to fry?" Dean snapped after a few seconds, sucking in a breath through his teeth - Michael winced, realizing he was feeling the archangel's pain head on, and struggled to reign himself back in enough to where the oldest Winchester wouldn't have to deal with that. Sam raised an eyebrow at his brother, and Castiel visibly hesitated, watching them - before finally relaxing, slowly tucking the blade back into his sleeve and giving them nothing more than a short, curt nod. "Great. Thanks."

"You did mention Adam was in trouble," the angel relented begrudgingly, his blue eyes searching Dean's, a clear question in his gaze. And Dean must have answered, because Castiel abruptly relaxed, a look of realization flitting across his face, mingling with relief, before it vanished into the seriousness it had been before. "What happened?"

Dean looked over at Sam, who exchanged the look with him silently. Finally, when the oldest Winchester just shrugged, the younger looked back over at Castiel and crossed his arms over his chest, a look of slight resignation settling across his face. "Chuck has him."

Castiel recoiled as if he'd been struck.

Jack's face flitted through Dean's mind for a second, and Michael couldn't keep his thoughts from jumping back to his brother in time. And, in response, every muscle in Dean's body seemed to tense up, wide eyes dropping from Castiel and Sam and instead focusing on the floor. But not a word was spoken from the hunter's end, though, hardly any thoughts, even. He was just silent, tense, the realization pounding in his chest. But he didn't look up, or say a word, until Castiel and Sam began speaking again; The angel had moved forward, eyes blazing.

"What do you mean, _Chuck has him_? _Chuck's _back?" Castiel practically snarled the word out, and Michael flinched a little bit at the amount of hatred, the rage that radiated from the angel. Dean slowly lifted his head again, but he didn't seem particularly focused on the conversation anymore. Michael didn't know what to say to him - he didn't know what to do about his little slip up. He had hoped maybe the hunter hadn't noticed, but that didn't seem to be the case.

But he wasn't saying anything. Why wasn't he saying anything?

Dean shifted a little on his feet, still tense, fingers flexing, shoulders twitching - but he was silent.

"Yeah. Apparently." Sam lifted a hand, gesturing slightly, but even he looked a little helpless as to how to explain - of course, he didn't know the story. Dean opened and closed his mouth, taking a deep breath in and letting it out slowly. There was hesitance, there was uncertainty, and confusion, and disbelief - but there was no _anger_. Michael had realized that, too. No anger followed the hunter's revelation, no fury from the archangel's slip-up, and that _did _leave him to believe maybe Dean hadn't put the pieces together - but still, his reaction didn't make _sense_. "It seems like he might be holding Adam as bait - leverage, maybe."

A distinct, thundering growl began to rumble in Castiel's throat, but he didn't seem furious over the fact that Chuck had Adam. He just seemed pissed that Chuck was _back_. Not that Michael could blame him much. "That…" The angel couldn't even finish his sentence, far too outraged. Sam gestured again, dropping his arms back to his sides with a short sigh, and Dean finally raised his head and spoke up, each word sounding like it was stuck in his throat, forced out.

"He's got him in his old house." The hunter twisted his mouth a bit, head raising, and stepped back with a slight huff. Sam turned to watch him, and frowned a little, seeming alarmed by whatever expression was written across his brother's face. But Castiel was silent, eyes fixed on the floor, nothing but rage glittering through his pale blue eyes. "You told Rowena, right?" Dean directed the question to Sam, who simply stared at him, eyes narrowed faintly.

"Yeah. Well- I told Crowley, he told Rowena." The younger Winchester turned toward his brother completely, and Castiel finally looked up. His own expression shifted, rage dissolving into concern the second he fixed his eyes on Dean, and Michael got the distinct impression that the oldest Winchester wasn't looking so hot right then. "She's gonna see if there's anything in the Book she might be able to use… well, against God." Sam almost huffed out a laugh at that, as if the situation was funny, and Michael couldn't help but snort a little himself. Because if there was anything that was going to take his Father down, it wasn't going to be in a book that any humans could decipher. He almost shook his head at the thought.

"Great." Dean licked his lips and looked toward Castiel, then looked away again. Michael noted that almost absently - he couldn't seem to look either Sam or Castiel in the eyes right then. He was backing away from them now, too, toward the doorway, distancing himself to leave. Sam took a half-step after him, but otherwise remained completely casual, arms crossed over his chest, head tilted, eyebrows raised toward his brother. Dean didn't look back at him.

"Where are you going?" Castiel stared at Dean, concern evident in his expression now, the rage not having _quite _been stifled - but for the moment, simply shoved straight to the backburner. The hunter looked over at him and raised an eyebrow, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.

"To get some shit together, Cas. We're about to go confront _God_," Dean emphasized, and Sam raised an eyebrow at that, understanding, while Castiel just narrowed his eyes slightly, suspicious. Whether because of Dean, or because of Michael, the archangel didn't know.

"Think we should bring the Equalizer?" Sam asked suddenly, eyes flickering to his brother, and Dean visibly paused at that. Almost unconsciously, his gaze drifted toward the hunter's shoulder - his left shoulder, much more specifically, and Michael couldn't help but think back to Chuck. The way his Father had doubled over the second he and Adam had touched his shoulder, as if in pain. Michael frowned a bit, but he didn't say a word. As for Dean, he hesitated - but that new information seemed to spark up somewhat of a realization, yet another revelation, an epiphany that he wasn't quite ready to touch up on right then. "Just in case," Sam added.

Dean shrugged a little, seeming to realize he'd been a little too silent. "Yeah, just in case," he responded vaguely, somewhat dismissively, before finally turning to leave the room. Sam started to say something, mouth opening, but he stopped when he realized his brother wasn't listening, anyway. Castiel shuffled a few steps forward, but Michael saw Sam extend an arm to stop him before Dean had completely turned around; And then the hunter was simply leaving the room, not looking back at the other two, and Michael slowly sank back once again, nervous. Waiting for the inevitable.

Dean didn't say a word to him.

The hunter walked into his room, leaving the door open. He grabbed his jacket, his keys, took a look around the room for anything he might be missing, and Michael held his breath the whole time, because it had to be coming. With what Dean knew now, with all that Michael had let slip, there had to be something he had to say. Some kind of _wariness_, even, _anything_.

No, Dean didn't say a word. It wasn't his voice that echoed through Michael's head, when the silence was finally broken. It wasn't his voice that startled the archangel, made him gasp.

_I'm coming, halo. _

It was Adam.

Michael rushed for it at once, letting the demon's voice surround him, and aching to respond back - but he knew he couldn't. It was a prayer; Short and simple, and Adam probably didn't even realize what he was doing now, didn't even realize Michael could hear him, because nothing else followed. That was it. But Michael held onto it as tight as he could, desperate for it, even, chest aching, throat constricting, pain exploding through him, rushing over him like tidal waves. He ached, every part of him ached with _fear_, and yet the _relief _was _overwhelming_.

Adam was alive, he really was alive, and he was okay. Michael didn't understand those words - the _I'm coming _\- but that wasn't his focus right now. Adam was alive.

The relief was steady on Dean's end, too. Nodding to himself, as if something had been confirmed, as if yet another realization had struck, he shrugged his jacket on, pocketed his keys, slung his bag over his shoulder and turned to leave the room. Yes, the hunter was relieved…

But it didn't seem to be for the same reason.


	50. Chapter 50

Adam was still pulling at his tie uncomfortably, several hours later, stuck in the passenger seat of Bela's 1990 ZR1 Corvette while she blasted her music - something that, despite everything, the demon actually kind of approved of. Good wine, good music, good car. Why did she have to be such a bitch? Adam might actually like her otherwise. They were pretty alike.

"Shot through the heart, and you're to blame - darling, you give love a bad name…" Bela was singing along with a smile on her face, nodding her head along to the music as she took a turn - a sharp turn. Adam inhaled sharply, and, after a moment of thought, released his tie to turn and buckle his seatbelt instead. When he turned back, the crazy bitch was grinning, as if that had been what she wanted all along, to take Adam's attention off of the tie. He wouldn't have been surprised. She threw him a smug look, which he returned with nothing but a scowl and a roll of his eyes, turning to look out the window instead with a low, defeated sigh. So many things he wanted to say - but why bother?

"An angel's smile is what you sell… you promise me Heaven, then put me through Hell…"

Adam bit his tongue to keep back a sigh. Her voice grated at his nerves, and he couldn't really help it. Of course, she was actually a fantastic singer - but maybe that's what got at Adam, too. The fact that even her _voice _was perfect, it irked him. Of course- of course she wasn't exactly perfect, not at all, no, and Adam wasn't going to think of her as such. The demon closed his eyes for a moment, mentally kicking himself, and shook his head a little bit. They went on like that for a while, and he just listened as she sang, getting lost in the music, himself. He found himself bouncing his leg slightly along with the music, almost anxiously - but he wasn't anxious. Actually, that was weird - he _was _feeling a little nervous, but he couldn't place why.

The demon frowned a little, mouth twisting, as he stared out the window. Now that he was focusing on it, the anxiety was growing even stronger with each passing second - and damn, if it wasn't familiar. That was Michael, he knew it better than he knew his own emotions.

Of course, his 'connected souls' theory. It made sense, to be completely honest… after all, Adam had been twisted into a demon, with Michael's Grace wrapped around his soul the entire time. It wouldn't be much of a shock to find that, even being ripped apart, they may have taken one another with them, even just unconsciously. The idea of having even a small part of Michael there made Adam sink back into his seat, chest aching with longing, but also with relief. If they were connected, maybe there was a way Adam could find him like that.

They'd have to be fast, though. Adam didn't know how long it would take Michael to get into a vessel - the thought of him possessing anyone else made Adam feel sick - but he hoped that he could get to the archangel before he managed to find Chuck. Just because the bait wasn't there anymore didn't mean the trap couldn't still be set. Not if Michael thought Chuck still had him.

This time, it was Adam's own anxiety that rose up; The demon clenched his teeth and screwed his eyes shut as tight as he could, running his fingers through his hair.

Bela glanced over at him, the demon looking mildly curious. No concern, just curiosity, and a tiny bit of confusion. She turned her gaze to the road quick enough though, abruptly speeding up.; Adam couldn't help a nervous look forward, still not quite comfortable with the way she was driving right then. Honestly, even John wasn't so reckless, and those driving lessons… hadn't exactly been the best that Adam had ever been given. The demon grimaced and looked back out the window for a moment, dropping his hand from his hair and crossing his arms over his chest instead - then, unconsciously, he began thumbing at the tie again, debating taking it off.

"Seem a little antsy over there, lad," Bela finally piped up, and Adam turned his head slightly to look over at her again. The other demon just grinned, all teeth, continuing to gain speed. "Just an observation, s'all. So what's got your panties in a twist?" She asked innocently.

Adam had to close his eyes to keep from rolling them, rubbing his hand over his mouth and shaking his head slightly before just looking away again. Honestly, talking to her seemed just about impossible. Adam could go as far as to say she was worse than he was, but then, that'd be giving her credit for something, and the demon wasn't quite willing to do that either. "My problems, on a scale, I guess would be somewhere between 'none of your business' and 'go fuck yourself', so." He glanced over at her, watching as her eyebrows rose, half-impressed, half-pissed off. "I'll let you sort that one out for yourself."

"Wow, rude." Bela pouted slightly, and Adam actually did roll his eyes this time, back toward the window, before sparing a glance ahead with a frown. She was speeding up even further now, and nearing a crossroads - why didn't Adam like where this was going?."You talk to your mother with that mouth?"

Adam offered her an irritated look, but nothing more. Truthfully, his mother would roll over in her grave if she heard him talking to a girl like this, but… yeah, he couldn't really care. Still, thinking about his mom made him feel… weird, so he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and looked back out the window, shrugging a little. "I'll quit being a prick if you stop being a bitch."

"Asking the impossible now."

"I thought so."

Bela chuckled dryly, and Adam smirked a little despite himself, taking the win easily. He looked ahead again, eyebrows furrowing faintly - and then froze. There were cars on both sides of the crossroad, ready to go, and he watched with mounting horror as the light in front of them turned red - and Bela didn't stop for a second. Even as the cars began pulling out, she simply seemed to press harder on the gas, propelling them forward, and Adam was about to ask what the fuck she was doing and what kind of death wish she had - but he couldn't force his mouth to move.

Just when they reached the crossroad, just when Adam thought they were about to be hit from both sides, Bela took another sharp turn left, spun into another lane, and kept driving, falling into line behind a few other cars and relaxing in her seat with a giddy little laugh once they were back on the road. Adam stared ahead, wide-eyed, then looked over at the other demon. Bela was just grinning ear to ear, nothing like the sarcastic, guarded smiles she offered him, the cocky, arrogant smirks - a genuinely happy grin was etched across her face, and…

And Adam didn't really like the way his stomach twisted in response.

He looked away quick enough, before she could catch him staring, wide eyes focused on the window. Jeez, she had almost gotten them killed, and she was laughing about it, and… and it took Adam a good few seconds to remember that a car crash probably wouldn't be enough to take down a demon. It was so hard to forget that he wasn't human anymore sometimes. Even with how he felt, even though he knew he couldn't possibly be human, after all that he'd been through - it was just the most difficult thing to remember, and he didn't know why.

Adam sighed a little to himself and looked out the window again, mouth twisting slightly. Unconsciously, he brought his arms up, wrapping them around himself wordlessly. He wasn't quite sure why - something he'd picked up from Michael, he presumed. Thinking back to the archangel had his thoughts churning in the direction of their apparent connection; If he was right about it, and he could contact Michael, then he had to find a way to do so, and fast.

The demon shut his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to focus. He let his own emotions slip past, instead focusing on the anxiety that was steadily brewing up in his stomach. It was small, barely noticeable at first, but once he started paying attention again, it grew much stronger. Along with it was a deep sense of anger, a rage that Adam wasn't used to feeling from Michael - but it was his, and Adam knew this deep down in his bones. He knew what Michael felt like, and this was completely from the archangel. There was pain, and grief, and confusion, and fear, and it was heartbreaking; But at least he was _alive_, and Adam was alive, and he was coming.

He would get back to the archangel. He had to.

Adam exhaled, holding onto the emotions for a while. It felt like Michael, and it made him feel like maybe the archangel was still there. He tried to get past it, to reach more than emotions - he wanted to see what the archangel was thinking, he wanted to hear his voice again. But he couldn't seem to push the connection any further; He'd hit a wall, and this one didn't seem like it was going to crumble anytime soon. A rush of his own anxiety welled up at that. He pushed it down, continuing to hold onto Michael's emotions. As much as they hurt, they were _his_. More than anything, Adam just needed that right then. He needed the archangel.

Still, he didn't regret expelling him - he didn't think he ever would, truthfully enough. He had saved him, he was protecting him. Yet, a part of him was doubting that. They were stronger together, they always had been… so had he really made the right choice there?

Or was it just a moment of panic?

The demon blinked his eyes open and swallowed hard, looking down at his hands. Slowly, he brought them together, then began to pull them apart again. Every minute without the archangel was breaking him down, and he could feel that insanity rising up again. The restlessness, the anger - at himself, at Chuck… Adam took a deep breath and raised his hands, curling his fingers into the tie and finally yanking the damn thing from around his neck. Bela looked over at him when he did, but she didn't say a word, only huffed out a sigh through her nose and shook her head, looking away again. Adam didn't really care. He just needed it off.

"You know," Bela said suddenly, and the demon twitched a little, but didn't turn, doing his best to ignore whatever snarky comment was about to come out of her mouth. "I've been thinking-"

"Oh, no." Adam closed his eyes for a moment, rubbing them roughly with his thumbs and trying to fend off the headache brewing. Whether demons were supposed to get headaches or not, he literally had absolutely no idea, but this one was coming and it was the fault of the bitchy female demon that was sitting in the car beside him. "That's never a good sign…"

"Oh, haha," Bela huffed out a sarcastic sounding laugh, sparing him a half-hearted glare. Adam just gave her a sweet smile in response before letting it drop, shaking his head and turning away again, eyes closing once more, pressing his thumbs into the corners of his eye sockets. "Yes, you're just absolutely _hilarious_, aren't you?"

"Oh yeah," Adam muttered under his breath. "Regular fuckin' comedian…"

"Anyway, as I was trying to say," Bela continued, ignoring him now, and Adam rolled his eyes to the side and heaved out a sigh, nodding to himself. "Despite your predicament… you know, getting away from that hunter that had you back there, you don't really seem like you're running _from _something." She leaned forward a little, trying to look him in the eyes, but the demon just scowled and looked down at his hands, refusing to look at her. "Running to something, perhaps. Someone?" Adam didn't react, so she continued, "how close _are _you to the Winchesters?"

"Like I said, it's complicated," Adam responded simply, sparing a glance upwards. He glanced over at her, letting his gaze flick across her face, before he looked away again. "I told you, I kinda helped them stop the end of the world. That's it."

"You also told me you went with them after you finished saving our precious planet," Bela pointed out, and Adam paused, looking over at her. "Now, I'm sorry, but clearly there's a little something more going on than just partnership. Otherwise you wouldn't be tagging along with them, now would you?" She gave the demon a pointed look, and Adam just twisted his mouth a little bit, remaining unresponsive. "So, care to tell me the _truth_ now?"

It was like she knew that would trigger him; The demon's eyes flickered back to Bela at once, hardening slightly with indignation and disbelief, and in response, the woman only grinned back at him with mild amusement written across her face, though for the most part, she looked serious. Adam narrowed his eyes slightly, looking away again, teeth clenching. "I'm gonna try to tell you kindly, yet again, to mind your own fucking business."

"Fine," Bela responded smoothly, looking ahead again through narrowed eyes. "For what it's worth, though, working with the Winchesters? Never good, in my experience," she muttered, and Adam raised an eyebrow, flicking his gaze over to her. "They're not exactly team players, lad. They'd rather save each other than anyone else, regardless of what they tell you about 'saving the world' and all of that - quite frankly - bullcrap. So if you're thinking you're going to get something out of working with them - don't, because they'll turn on you the minute they decide you're not useful anymore. Leave you to die, to be dragged off to Hell."

Adam paused at that, his gaze lingering on her for a long time before he looked away again, slightly confused now. "Dragged off to Hell, huh?" Boy, if that wasn't familiar…

"Oh, yes," Bela chuckled, but the sound was mirthless, dry. "See, once upon a time, I made a deal with a demon, sold my soul, blah, blah, blah - and I was trying to get out of the deal, see, but those stupid Winchesters came along, wrecked it all, so that Dean could save himself from the save problem." Adam blinked, staring at her. "And I got mauled by Hellhounds, dragged down to Hell, and got a pair of these pretty black peepers myself - and they didn't care at all. Last thing a Winchester said to me - Dean Winchester, actually - 'see you in Hell'." Her tone seemed to harden, just a little bit, and Adam stilled for a second. "Nice, right? Especially for two men who claim that they're only out to 'help' people." She snorted, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure."

Adam shifted a little in his seat, slightly uneasy now. Truthfully, the fact that he genuinely believed her story, didn't settle well with him either. It did sound like something Sam and Dean would do, much as he hated to admit it. But even then, was _that_ really their fault? Or was Bela just another character that didn't 'fit into the story'? Sam and Dean couldn't control what happened if Chuck wanted them to forget him - so why would it be any different, if he had been controlling her fate the entire time, too? Controlling Sam, controlling Dean? Were his brothers really to blame here - on either end? The demon looked away again, mouth twisting slightly.

"Now, I'm a bitch, but I'm not stupid," Bela commented, looking over at him now. "Or blind. So is it just me, or was that a hint of recognition on your face, darling?"

Adam heaved out an irritated sigh and stared out the window, watching the buildings and trees pass by. It was a while before he spoke again, his voice quieter than before. "Just a similar fate," he replied slowly, carefully. "Though I was dragged down to Hell in a different way." He shifted again, abruptly wrapping his arms around himself.

"Oh, I'm not surprised," Bela huffed out a laugh. "They left you to die then, too, hm?" She flicked her gaze over to him, and Adam offered a one-shouldered shrug. "But, then, if that's the case - why help them?" She quirked an eyebrow as Adam hesitated, looking back at the road for a second. "What is it they say? 'Fool me once, shame on you - fool me twice, shame on me'...?" Her lips twitched, looking back over at him. "Let me guess, Sam hit you with the puppy dog eyes and you fell right into their arms…"

Adam ran his tongue over his lips, looking away again. "Well, it's…" He trailed off and heaved out a sigh, shaking his head a little. Complicated, complicated, complicated. It certainly was complicated, but he was getting damn sick of that word. "Look, Sam and Dean are-"

"Ridiculously codependent on each other," Bela cut in, amused.

Adam opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn't get the words out now. 'They'd rather save each other than anyone else' and 'ridiculously codependent on each other'... why was _that _familiar? The demon furrowed his eyebrows slightly, looking down for a second.

"_So you know you can't trust them, right? You know Sam and Dean Winchester are psychotically, irrationally, erratically codependent on each other, right? Trust me, kid, when the heat gets hot, they're not gonna give a flying crap about you. Hell, they'd rather save each other's sweet bacon than save the planet…" _

Zachariah.

Adam's lips curled back slightly, digging his fingers into his shirt. Bela was silent now, just focused on driving, and the demon spared a hesitant glance upwards. Truthfully enough, he didn't know what to think. There was this chick, after all, this crazy _bitch _who was suddenly spouting the same amount of shit that Zachariah had been pressing on him all those years ago, trying to turn him against Sam and Dean.

The demon sighed and pressed his eyes shut for a moment, not knowing what to say. He wasn't the naive little human he had been before, but at the same time, believing Zachariah - going along with everything… that was what had led him to where he was now. And despite everything that had happened - Adam couldn't really say he hated his life. He was happy, to an extent, at least when he was whole. With Michael - like he should be. Yes, he was still pissed off at a few choice people - Chuck, hell, even Zachariah - but even then? He couldn't really say he'd gotten such a bad life, in the end. With that said, this _life… _

Well, Adam was sitting beside a hot as hell demon chick in a car on his way to reunite with an archangel - who, by the way, was practically his other half - and his two brothers that kill things that are already dead for a living. Oh, and apparently the hot demon chick held a grudge.

He rubbed his arm almost unconsciously, flicking his gaze back over to Bela. He didn't know how to explain everything to her - to make her understand. But beyond that, he didn't know why he wanted to. This girl - he was leading her to his _brothers_. And, sure, they hunted things probably worse than demons - they'd killed the damn Devil, but… but they didn't know this was coming. They didn't know _she _was coming. And, sure, she said she wanted this _ring_, but for all Adam knew, she could very well be lying. And if she was… and Adam led her to Sam and Dean - well, the demon remembered that kind of rage, the betrayal…

And Bela didn't have an archangel to hold her back.

For some reason, the thought of her getting to them - hurting them - he didn't… like that. He didn't like that at all. Of course he understood the need for revenge, the desperation, aching to hurt the people that had wronged you - but it wasn't Sam and Dean's fault, not really, was it? Could they be held responsible, when in the end, it was _Chuck _pulling the strings?

It wasn't their fault; That seemed to click. Chuck had admitted it, himself. And if it was true in Adam's case, then maybe Bela's situation wasn't so different, either. Adam grimaced a little, closing his eyes again and turning his head slightly to the side. He didn't even know where he was taking her, but he knew he couldn't just lead her right to Sam and Dean now. Maybe she didn't have the same destructive fury Adam was used to feeling, but then again, she seemed like a pretty good actress to him. But should he take that chance? Could he take that chance?

He wanted to get back to Michael, more than he had ever wanted anything in his life. Even his desperation to get his mother back wasn't this strong. But he knew what Michael would say if he were there, too - he'd be all soft and compassionate, but he'd speak his mind, his opinions - and Adam knew the archangel better than he knew himself sometimes. He knew Michael wouldn't want him to lead her back to his brothers if there was a chance she would hurt them. Or worse.

And Michael… Michael was the good one. The moral one. Sometimes, Adam found himself wishing he could be as good as the archangel, as kind and caring and thoughtful, but it was just never in his nature, never part of his drive. This time, though, something had shifted…

He knew what he had to do, but it wouldn't be easy. Not after what he'd promised. Sometimes, though… sometimes you had to break a promise, and this was just one Adam couldn't keep. Not with this revelation looming over his head, threatening to pull him straight under. Beyond what Michael would want, and beyond what his brothers would think, the demon knew that if he let this chick get to them, and something went south, it would weigh down on him forever. Maybe if he could figure out her true intentions…

Adam blinked his eyes open, looking back out the window.

"So what were you saying?" Bela questioned after a few moments of silence, looking over at him. "Sam and Dean are…?" Adam paused, mouth twisting, pressing his lips together in a firm line and letting his gaze flick down to his hands. There were moments of truth. Moments to lie. And, unfortunately, it looked like he might have to become what he despised; A liar.

The demon screwed his eyes shut for a moment, and inhaled. Then, blinking them open, he looked out the window again, glanced ahead, and steeled himself.

"Nevermind," he muttered, looking back out the window. "I just remembered, though, I was wrong about something."

"And what might that be?" Bela questioned, eyebrows raising as she looked over at him.

"The Winchesters, they aren't in Kansas anymore."


	51. Chapter 51

Michael paced back and forth in the darkness, head raised, eyes closed, arms wrapped around himself as tight as possible. His thoughts whirled, despite his best efforts to push them down, to focus on something beyond himself. He was struggling to reach the connection with Adam, actually, as well as replaying those three words in his head, the one thing he had left to hold onto - _I'm coming, halo. _Admittedly enough, it hadn't made much sense at first; What did that mean? He was coming? Michael couldn't understand, because, of course, Chuck still had the demon, didn't he? But Adam wouldn't say he was coming unless he really _was _coming, and Michael knew this for a fact. He wouldn't just be thinking that if he was still stuck.

So, even if he didn't quite understand, a small part of him was holding onto the hope that maybe Adam was free, and safe, and… well, possibly on his way to them. Which, actually, was an odd thought, considering they were about to march straight to his Father, into the apparent 'trap' that had been set. Michael didn't really like it, but he knew what needed to be done. Just in case he was wrong, they had to keep going. If Adam was there, they'd save him. If not, they'd find him. In all honesty, the archangel was terrified to hope for too much.

Adam's freedom, and being able to rescue him… he was desperate for that, to have the demon back, but he knew he had to keep a level head here. Adam was always the straight and narrow, the logical thinker, his decisions never swayed by hope, or fear. So it was definitely harder on the archangel, trying to figure out how Adam would react in this situation, what Adam would do. And, at the same time, it was all too easy; He knew the demon better than he knew himself, and, undoubtedly, Adam would continue on. No hope, no 'what if's', just facts. As much as Michael was hoping the demon was away from Chuck, and safe - he couldn't go solely on hope, and he couldn't run completely on the belief that what he'd heard was really… Adam at all. For all he knew, it was his own mind playing tricks on him, the insanity closing in again.

The archangel sighed, screwing his eyes shut for a moment and struggling to focus. There were so many different emotions, hard to identify - but there were a select few that, most definitely, felt like Adam. Irritation, for one, that was certainly familiar. But also a deep-lingering confusion, and fear…? Anxiety, something close to it. But, pulsing beneath all of that, was determination. Michael furrowed his eyebrows, silent, letting that linger for a moment. It brought a smile to his face despite himself, though - of course, Adam was the strong one.

That gave Michael a little bit of determination, himself, though.

Michael blinked his eyes open and looked up into the darkness for a moment, then let out a low sigh through his teeth and brought himself up alongside Dean again. He was careful not to get in the hunter's way too much; He knew how on edge he already was, and he didn't want to make him even more nervous, especially while he was driving. To his credit, though, Dean didn't startle for a second when the archangel rose up to control with him, and simply continued speaking to Sam, who was in the passenger seat, and Castiel, who was in the back. "-and that's when Adam apparently expelled Michael, and Chuck took Adam as bait I guess 'cause, y'know, he's an asshole." Michael snorted at that, and Dean's lips twitched slightly.

Sam sighed a little bit, rubbing his hand down his face and looking out the window. He seemed particularly upset, Michael noted that, as Dean spared a glance toward his brother before he focused back on the road again. Of course he was upset, though, his brother had been captured by God. Michael wasn't doing so hot either, but that was just a given. Sure, the demon may be Sam's brother, but to Michael, he was so much more than just that. So much more than just _family_. He was everything Michael was, and everything he wanted to be. He was his other half. His better half, even. No, the archangel wasn't doing so well. Then again, considering… well, how easy it would be to break his mentality completely, he was doing pretty alright…

Jeez, he just wanted Adam back.

"We're going," Dean muttered, and Sam's head turned in his direction at once, but the hunter didn't look away from the road this time. Michael just offered a soft hum of acknowledgement in response, releasing the little bit of control he had, but staying in front to watch. After a moment, Sam seemed to realize that Dean hadn't been talking to them, because he looked away again.

They were all silent for a while, and so, Michael allowed his thoughts to turn back in Adam's direction, focusing on the emotions lingering below the surface, definitely not at all his own. For a moment, he had to wonder if maybe they were a figment of his own insanity, as well, but they couldn't be, right? They felt so real, and they felt so much like Adam, and… even if they weren't, he just needed something to hold onto. Something at least close to what the demon was. This was that, at least for the time being… and, for the time being, it felt like he was still there. And it put his anxieties, his worries, to rest; Because if he could feel Adam there, then he had to be alive, and he had to be okay, and he had to be _safe_, and Michael could only pray that he was.

"Sam," Dean's voice startled the archangel out of his thoughts, and Michael paused to listen. "Get some rest, you look beat." As the hunter looked over at his brother, the archangel realized, yes, Dean was certainly right - Sam wasn't looking too hot. His eyes kept closing as he blinked, as if forgetting how to open them again, but he kept forcing himself awake when he seemed to realize he was drifting. "We've still got a while to go."

Sam gave him a doubtful look, hazel eyes flickering as he searched his brother's gaze. Michael frowned a bit, thinking. It was that look again, like he wanted to say something, but he just couldn't - and, finally, heaving out a soft sigh, the younger Winchester looked away again, glancing out the window before looking back at his brother. "You sure?"

"Rest, Sammy," Dean insisted, an amused smile twitching at his lips now. Sam looked over at him again, clearly still reluctant, but after a few moments, he gave in and sank back into the seat, leaning his head back and letting his eyes drift shut. And, satisfied, Dean returned his gaze to the road, and Michael relaxed once again, watching quietly as the hunter took a turn. After a while, he retreated back into the darkness, though he stayed in front a bit so he could still hear. Settling down, he wrapped his arms around himself and closed his eyes.

"So, Cas," he heard Dean speak up after a while, and cracked his eyes open a bit, blinking. "How are you doing, huh?" The question confused Michael at first - until he remembered Castiel's earlier reaction to finding out Chuck hadn't left the universe after all. Admittedly, he felt extremely guilty about keeping such information from them, especially considering how important it was. He still couldn't get over his initial anxiety, worrying about whether or not it was smart for them to just rush right up to Chuck themselves - since, after all, this was Michael's fight. And yet, at the same time, maybe it wasn't - thinking back to Jack.

Once again, his thoughts moved toward Lucifer, and he struggled to push them down again. If Dean noticed this time, he didn't show it, simply kept his attention fixated completely on Castiel as the angel responded. "Fine." His brother paused for a moment, seeming to hesitate, before he caved. "... I don't know, honestly. It…" Castiel trailed off for a few seconds. "... It was supposed to be over. Chuck was supposed to be gone."

"I know," Dean muttered, a mixture of sympathetic and frustrated. "Believe me, I know. I thought… I don't know, that we could just- move on. But-" The hunter suddenly laughed a little, though the sound seemed to catch in his throat slightly, sounding more forced than anything. "When are things ever that easy with us, huh?"

"Never," Castiel agreed, though his tone was a little bit lighter now, equally sympathetic - but the tension had been broken for the most part, whatever was left of it, anyway. Michael furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his legs, listening quietly. "Still, it was nice to think… to hope that…" His brother trailed off again, but this time the pause was longer; Michael bit his lip, concerned. He hated how much Castiel was struggling. "... Well, anyway. How are you doing, Dean?"

"Could be better," Dean replied easily enough. "Could be worse." For a second, it seemed like maybe they were still referring to Chuck - but Michael realized quickly enough that the topic had shifted, sudden and unspoken, and both of them seemed to realize just as fast. "Really, I'm… I'm okay. It's really not that bad." After a moment's hesitation, he added, "still freaky, but."

"Of course." Castiel went silent for a few seconds, as if trying to think of what to say next, or how to phrase what he wanted to say. Michael closed his eyes again. "I have to admit, I'm still a little shocked that you… well, that you said yes, after everything that had happened with…" He didn't finish that sentence, and both the archangel and the hunter understood why. "It's still just a little hard to believe that you're completely okay with it, considering."

Dean exhaled slowly through his teeth as he replied. "It's not like I'm one-hundred percent okay with it, Cas. Like I said, I'm freaked. Still kind of expecting the worst. But at the same time, it's like- this is _different. _Like _he's _different, you know? And I can feel it. All he cares about is Adam." Damn, if that wasn't the truth. And now Michael was thinking of the demon again. The archangel sighed, pressing his eyes shut a little tighter and turning his thoughts back in Adam's direction. The anxiety had strengthened somehow… that worried him. A lot.

"And he truly plans to leave once we've rescued Adam?" Castiel was asking, and Michael reluctantly tore his attention back to the conversation, but he kept a part of himself focused on the connection between him and Adam. He really had to figure that out - and see if there was any way to strengthen it. On the off-chance that Adam really had gotten away, and was out there somewhere, he'd have to be able to find the demon somehow, because he doubted Adam even knew his way back to the bunker in the first place - the thought of him wandering out there on his own hurt almost as much as thinking of him being held hostage by his Father. Neither of them were particularly favorable situations.

Then again, no situation in which they were separated could be considered favorable.

"Trust me," Dean actually chuckled a little bit, for some reason. "That's literally all he can think about right now. And I'm in the guy's head. Well- technically, he's in mine, but. You get it." Michael had to bite back a snort at that, then he frowned. Well, he'd like to see how Dean did, being separated from Sam for this long… okay, yeah, it wasn't the same situation. The Winchesters were closer than most brothers, for sure, but Adam and Michael _literally _couldn't have been any closer than they were before. Seriously.

"Good." Castiel sighed, soft and satisfied. Michael blinked his eyes open, looking up into the darkness for a moment. He thought back to their conversations, how Castiel had seemed to trust him - or how he was starting to, anyway. He couldn't help but agonize over how quickly that had shifted, the second his brother had realized he was possessing Dean. Like the towers were already beginning to crumble, like they were made of glass, so easily shattered at any wrong move. And he had to wonder how he could even begin to fix that, after what the other him had done - was it even possible to mend something so broken beyond his own comprehension?

"You should get some rest, too," Dean murmured after a few moments, sounding somewhat distracted now. Michael paused for a second, but he stopped himself before he could dig deep enough to see what was on the hunter's mind; He didn't want to invade his privacy, after all.

"No, I'm alright," Castiel responded quickly, and Dean sighed a little, but he didn't press the subject further. Michael closed his eyes and leaned his head back for a moment, then promptly let himself fall backwards, the darkness surrounding him completely. It was almost peaceful, to be completely honest. He let Castiel and Dean fade into the background, and brought his focus back to the connection between him and Adam. The emotions were pulsing even stronger now, and they only got stronger the more he focused, the more he pushed.

He laid there for a while, just trying to strengthen the connection. Struggling, holding onto the emotions he was praying were Adam's - hell, he was sure they were his, they had to be, they felt so much like him. He ached to hear his voice again, or to see through his eyes again, but there was only darkness. He blinked his eyes open, staring up into it, surrounded by it - so much of it he could practically drown in it. It wasn't a pleasant feeling.

* * *

Michael only retreated from the darkness when Dean called him back to the front; Somewhat reluctantly so, he rose up along with the oldest Winchester, careful not to take too much control. As the hunter turned his head, looking around, he could see why Dean had called him; They had parked on the side of a road, one that looked very… abandoned, lifeless. Dead. It was dark out, and every light in every house was out - except for one, one they were parked just in front of, on the opposite side of the road. Dean's eyes narrowed as he stared at it, pushing the door open to get out - he was in the back, and Castiel was driving. Sam was awake now, already outside the car and fondling a gun, mouth twisted and set into a deep frown.

He looked over as Dean got out, and as the older hunter reached a hand out for the gun. Sam only spared a brief glance downwards before shaking his head, stepping back, and turning back to the house. Dean's eyes narrowed even further at that. "Sam, give me the gun."

"Dean-"

"Sam," Castiel interrupted the hunters - and Michael couldn't thank him enough - as he got out of the car, walking around to stand beside them. "Give it to me." He held out a hand for the gun, himself, and Sam drew back a bit, staring at him in disbelief. And Dean didn't seem to like that idea any more than the younger Winchester did, because he stepped forward, eyes sharpening, glaring at the angel like he had just called him a bastard. Michael blinked, watching.

"Cas, _no._" Dean sounded pissed off now, his glare flickering between Castiel and his brother as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Sam, you saw what that thing did to you the first time." He jerked his chin toward the other hunter's shoulder, and, once again, Michael couldn't help but think back to Chuck's hurt shoulder, too. It couldn't just be a coincidence that they were both hurt on the same shoulder, seemingly in the same spot, from what the archangel could see, could it? It had to be connected somehow, but Michael couldn't figure it out. As for Dean, he seemed to go rigid at the thought, and a low growl rumbled in his throat - a brief gesture that reminded him of Adam, achingly enough - as he stepped forward. "I said give me the gun."

"Yeah, and I said no," Sam retorted, narrowing his eyes at Dean, as if daring him to argue. And Dean, of course, unsurprisingly, seemed ready to take that dare immediately; But Castiel abruptly stepped forward, his attention no longer on the boys, but instead fixated on the house across the street. Confused, Dean drew his attention back to the house, himself, and Sam turned to see what was up, as well. Michael only stared, not understanding what Castiel was staring at until a figure passed by the window, followed by another. A very. Very familiar figure.

Castiel dropped the blade from his sleeve again, catching it by the handle, and started toward the house with a look of absolute fury in his eyes. The gun forgotten, Dean rushed after him, and Sam wasn't too far behind. Michael was just searching for Adam, desperate to catch a glimpse, but he couldn't see his figure through the window. That being said, though, the one he had seen - it couldn't be him, could it? Why would he be there, anyway?

"Belphegor!" Castiel roared the second he had reached the door, kicking it open - Michael was surprised it didn't fly off its hinges - and the archangel's blood ran cold. Of course, it wasn't Belphegor - no, it was _Lucifer _\- and now that they were in the doorway, he could see what was happening a little bit clearer. Gabriel was there, too, simply standing near the back door with his arms crossed over his chest while Lucifer lifted Chuck up and promptly slammed him down into the coffee table, never once breaking concentration, not even as Castiel stormed toward them.

Before Michael could react, though - and boy, was he ready to react - Dean suddenly extended a hand in front of the angel to stop him, and another in front of Sam when the hunter raised the gun. "_Wait_," the oldest Winchester insisted, a completely no-nonsense tone to his voice and his eyes cold; It stopped Sam dead, but Castiel just continued to glare, shaking with fury.

Adam wasn't there. Michael didn't know whether to be relieved or terrified.

Lucifer finally straightened up and turned, and he paused. Dean's chin raised slightly, as Sam and Castiel suddenly stiffened, going still on both sides of him. Michael held his brother's gaze, wide-eyed with confusion. The Devil stared back at him, almost in disbelief, as if unsure of what he was seeing - then his eyebrows rose, head tilting, and a low "huh" broke through his lips.

Behind him, on the floor, Chuck groaned and rolled over, heaving himself up a bit. In response, Gabriel strode forward, delivering a harsh kick to their Father's ribs and sending him crashing right back down into the floor, among the broken glass from the coffee table, with nothing more than a pained groan as he spat blood out onto the ground, lips curled back over his bloody teeth and his glare fixed on his sons. If looks could kill, they'd be nonexistent.

"You're not…" Castiel's voice was choked now, strangled, an emotion Michael couldn't identify. He was just staring at Lucifer, wide-eyed with confusion, and pain, and fear. "You're not Jack." At this, the Devil's head turned toward the angel, and his mouth twisted, jaw setting. Castiel just continued to stare, pupils shrinking with the realization, and Michael winced. "Or… Belphegor."

"Yeah, no. Sorry." Lucifer paused a little, spreading his arms out a little before dropping them back to his sides. He met Dean's gaze almost desperately, as if expecting to see Michael there instead of the hunter, but the archangel hadn't risen up to take control. The oldest Winchester just stared back at Lucifer, no clear emotion on his face - and, to be honest, no clear emotion flickering in his chest, either. It was odd, being so close with him, but not being able to tell what he was feeling. Somewhat alarming, to be completely honest, considering…

"Oh, they don't know?" Chuck choked out a laugh, blood bubbling to his lips in the process. Dean's gaze flicked back to him, and Michael's chest tightened with a mixture of fury and disgust as he looked down upon his Father, his eyes wild and crazed, a grin tugging at his lips that was bordering on psychotic. "Of course they don't," Chuck flicked his gaze back to Lucifer, who turned his head slightly to look back down at him, eyes narrowed.

"Shut your trap, you bastard." Gabriel kicked Chuck again, this time in the shoulder.

"_Wait-" _Lucifer hissed, but it was too late; The second Gabriel came into contact with Chuck's shoulder, Sam had doubled over, gasping, the gun slipping from his fingers and thudding to the floor as his hand came up, gripping his shoulder tightly with a low, pained grunt.

"Sam?" Dean turned back to his brother at once, wide-eyed with concern, and Michael finally rose up to take control along with the hunter as Dean reached out, the archangel's hand already glowing as if to heal Sam - or at least try to. Before he could get close enough, though, Lucifer strode forward, knocking his hands out of the way and shoving Dean back, sending the hunter stumbling. Michael stared at his brother, bewildered, while the hunter snarled. "Hey-"

"You can't heal him," Lucifer told them coldly, and Michael stilled, listening to his brother. "You'd just be wasting your powers, Michael." Turning back to Sam, the Devil reached out for the younger hunter. Dean took a few steps forward, but before he could get to his brother, Lucifer had already taken Sam by the wrists and was pulling him toward a chair, forcing him to sit down. Dean took a half-step toward them and froze again, his eyes never leaving Sam, while Michael was struggling to get a glance in at his own brother. Gabriel, meanwhile, had hauled Chuck back to his feet, scowling, and had shoved him back into the couch.

Sam shook his head, pulling his hands away from Lucifer, and stared up at him. There was no anger in his eyes, just wariness, confusion. "Who…" The hunter couldn't seem to spit the word out, swallowing hard and searching the Devil's face carefully. Michael flinched a little bit, and Dean's jaw set slightly, a trickle of emotion finally rising to his chest. Not the one the archangel would have expected, though - no, it was sympathy, understanding, almost.

Castiel realized it before Lucifer could get the word out, though. "Lucifer," the angel whispered, a haunted look flickering across his face. Michael flinched back again, retracting a little bit of his control, as Dean looked over at Castiel. "It's… it's Lucifer."

Sam pulled back even further, face paling, looking absolutely horrified.

Lucifer looked over at Castiel and grimaced slightly, as if he had just spoiled some grand surprise. But his attention was taken back rather quickly, turning away from Sam and instead facing Dean and Michael, blue eyes narrowing slightly, searching the older hunter's gaze. "Michael?" He checked, slow and simple - Dean was the one who nodded, as Michael couldn't bring himself to take enough control to do so, too stunned, too terrified. "Adam's not here." The Devil spared a spiteful look toward Chuck, his fury seeming to intensify even further as he glared at their father. "This bastard won't tell me where he is. He's not in the Empty, but…"

Chuck only grinned, taunting and cold, and Gabriel's fists clenched, but he didn't move an inch. Michael swallowed, his gaze lingering on his Father. It was Dean who spoke up, quiet, simple.

"He's alive," he told Lucifer blankly, and the Devil looked back up at him, eyebrows furrowing. The bluntness seemed to surprise him, before a look of realization flickered across his face, head tilting, eyebrows raising - but he didn't say a word. "We know that much. Kid must have broke himself free." The hunter's lips twitched a little bit for some reason, shaking his head. "Definitely a Winchester, ain't he?" He stepped forward, easing past Lucifer, to approach Sam. The younger hunter was still staring at Lucifer, but as Dean approached, he spared him a half-desperate, half-confused look, as if asking why his brother wasn't doing anything.

Honestly, it broke Michael's heart as much as it broke Dean's.

"Dean." Lucifer sounded slightly appreciative, if not bewildered, as he turned to watch the hunter. His head tilted slightly. Dean turned back to look at him, but returned his gaze back to Sam fast enough, reaching out to pull part of his shirt down to get a look at his left shoulder. "You're the only one here not looking at me like I just ate your baby."

Dean didn't answer him, just pushed Sam's hands away and tugged his shirt down. Michael couldn't help but gasp when he caught a glimpse of the wound, eyes widening slightly. He didn't know much about humans and how they scarred, but he had a feeling a gunshot wound wasn't supposed to be black. Dean just grimaced and released Sam, letting his younger brother fix his shirt and turning back to the others, spinning the blade around in his hand. Lucifer was still staring at him, curious and confused, and Michael met his brother's gaze somewhat hesitantly.

"Get out of him…" Castiel suddenly breathed. Lucifer looked over at him, an odd look flitting across his face, but he didn't say a word. Just grimaced, eyes narrowing faintly, unresponsive. Michael hesitated, wanting to say something, desperate to say something, but he couldn't think of anything to say, he couldn't think of any way to console any of them, so he just stayed silent.

"Come on, Cassie," Gabriel piped up. He hadn't moved his gaze from Chuck, and he wasn't showing any sign that he was about to, narrowed eyes fixed only on their Father. Chuck hadn't moved an inch, eyes shut now, completely relaxed. Michael hated that. "Don't be an assie." Lucifer actually choked out a laugh at that, as if it had been startled from him, while Castiel slowly turned his gaze back to his older brother, looking bewildered now. And kind of offended.

Dean cleared his throat, directing Castiel's attention to him. "Cas, hang on a sec, okay? I mean, I'm fully aware that this is Lucifer here, one of the biggest dicks in existence-"

"Thanks," Lucifer interrupted, and he actually sounded _genuine_. Michael, meanwhile, was offended enough for the both of them.

Dean continued on as if the Devil hadn't even spoken, his gaze flickering toward Chuck, then Gabriel, then back to Lucifer before he looked back at Castiel. Michael watched silently, honestly a little curious now. "But you gotta remember something, man. He's an angel."

For a moment, Castiel only stared, confused, uncomprehending.

Michael didn't understand it at first. Not until Sam suddenly breathed in from behind them, unsteady and shocked. Dean didn't turn, looking back at Lucifer - and if Michael thought his brother had looked appreciative before, he definitely did now, staring at the hunter with a newfound sense of respect, head tilted, curious, confused and intrigued all at once. Sam spoke up after a few good moments as the realization dawned on all of them. "He needs consent."

Dean nodded, short and simple. Michael's eyes widened slightly at that, and Castiel jerked back slightly as if he'd been struck. His wide eyes darted from Sam to Lucifer in an instant, the realization causing a completely new expression to split across his face. There was still definite confusion, distrust, but all traces of hostility had vanished, and that broken look was gone. There was coming a little more hopeful there now, flickering through his eyes. And it was something akin to what Dean had been feeling before, the slight hope that had been flickering through the hunter's chest before they had left, and now Michael understood why.

"You mean." Castiel looked back at Sam and Dean, then looked back at Lucifer, eyes widening even further, disbelief flickering across his face. "You mean… Jack…"

Lucifer shrugged, puffing his cheeks out and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Mmmmhm. 'Cause they're planning to get rid of me," Chuck sneered out, and Michael jumped a bit, admittedly, having forgotten he was there. Dean looked back toward the archangel's Father at once, eyes narrowing slightly as the man tilted his head, grinning. "Funny, ain't it? Lucifer trying to play the good guy, the hero." He flicked his gaze toward his son, his smile turning even colder, and Michael felt something deep inside of him stir, that fire threatening to flicker back to life again. "Not a role that fits you, I gotta admit."

Lucifer waved a hand, calling Gabriel off before the archangel had even properly lifted a hand to punch their Father. Reluctantly, the youngest fell back, but his glare never faltered from Chuck. "No, I guess not," the Devil replied stiffly, narrowing his eyes at their Father. "Because I was just created to be the villain in your pathetic little story, wasn't I?"

Chuck's mouth twitched, curling upwards into a dry smile in response.

"Who's the real villain here?" Lucifer demanded, turning slowly to face him now. Dean narrowed his eyes, gaze not moving from Chuck. Michael could feel his fury rising again, all his own now. Not influenced by Adam, and hardly even influenced by Dean; No, this fury was completely his. And there was so much of it he didn't know what to do with. "You know, aside from the ones you only created for your show, your game. The real villain, _Father_, is the one pulling the strings." His tone changed, a mixture of disgust and contempt lacing his words. "It's not even about revenge anymore. You don't deserve the power you've got. Not after all of this."

"Look at you," Chuck murmured, rolling his eyes to the side. "Trying to be the good guy." Their Father grunted a little, and suddenly sank back into the couch a little further, a satisfied smile beginning to tug at his lips. "But I don't need you as the villain anymore, Lucifer. That got kind of old a while ago." Their Father pursed his lips, shrugging. "I actually got a new idea I wanna test out… it's gonna take some work, but I think what I have planned is gonna be the best one yet."

Michael furrowed his eyebrows, not understanding.

Gabriel blinked, lifting his gaze and finally looking away from Chuck, turning his head to look toward his brothers. Lucifer looked confused, himself, but he was making more of an effort to hide it, turning to look first at Michael, and then back toward Gabriel, before he looked back down at Chuck. Sam leaned forward a little, confused. "What?" Lucifer demanded.

Chuck just grinned, and didn't say a word. Lucifer's eyes sharpened.

"You son of a bitch," Gabriel snarled, seething, as he stepped forward. Lucifer didn't stop him this time, letting the youngest archangel storm forward, leaning over the couch and getting right in Chuck's face, lips curled back. Chuck just stared, eyes narrowed. "It's not gonna matter. You know that, right? Your game, it's _over_." He spat.

"No, it's not. Not yet." Chuck cracked a grin, and Gabriel opened his mouth to respond. Lucifer seemed to decide that was as good a time as any to pull his brother back, though, and thankfully enough at that, because the amount of rage radiating from the youngest archangel was honestly kind of terrifying. Michael frowned, turning his gaze back to his Father for a moment, eyes narrowing slightly. Dean was quiet, just thinking - so Michael hesitantly took enough control - just enough - to speak up, himself, finally bringing up the courage.

"Where's Adam?"

Chuck looked over at him, pausing. A look of recognition flickered through his eyes, realization, but no surprise. If anything, it was almost as if he had expected whatever it was. His mouth twitched, curling upwards into a sarcastic little smile. "Et tu, Michael?"

Michael stared at him, silent as ever. His fingers twitched, his blood was boiling. He watched the blood drip down the side of Chuck's mouth, studied the bruises that had formed on his face, likely from the beating his brothers had already given the man. And his hands curled up even further, balling into fists, because he wanted that. He wanted to hurt Chuck until the man was begging for mercy, he wanted to drive him to the ground and make him suffer as much as he had suffered, all those years in the Cage. And as much as he was suffering now, being apart from the one person who could make him feel alright. Something deep within the archangel was snapping, the strings holding his sanity were being snipped one by one.

But he just stood there, quiet and composed, not displaying a hint of the rage he was feeling. And again, he asked, softer this time. "Where. Is. Adam?"

As if he recognized Michael was snapping, as if he were encouraging it, Chuck leaned forward a little bit. Gabriel reacted quickly, starting forward, but Lucifer continued to hold him back. The Devil was just watching Michael, and he could feel his brother's gaze on him, silent and concerned and understanding. Dean was quiet, just watching, the same amount of understanding flickering through his chest. He didn't say a word. He didn't even move.

"What, you miss him?" Chuck's smile widened ever so slightly. "What's the matter, Mikey? Not attached to me anymore, so you had to attach yourself to someone else?" He lowered his chin a bit, while Michael only stared, the deep, burning fire turning colder and colder. "Poor little angel." Chuck paused, chuckled, and looked away. "Sorry. Poor little _fallen _angel, so broken and desperate for someone to follow around like a little puppy again." His Father huffed out a laugh. "What makes you think you're good enough for anyone else, _son_?"

And that was it.

There was a lot Michael could take. There was a lot he _had _taken. But this? This, he couldn't take. Each word out of Chuck's mouth was turning that fury cold. White hot, flickering through his veins like poison, lighting each and every part of him aflame. His eyes stung, but no tears came, and there was no pain. It was just from complete, utter rage. He had felt fury like this before, from Adam, but he'd never felt it so strongly. Not himself. Not toward his Father. This was destructive, this was blinding, and numbing, and _intoxicating_. Suddenly, all he could hear was Dean's heart pounding in his ears, fast and steady. Suddenly, all he could see was red. A haze had swept across his vision, everything else around them blurring, Chuck's face the only thing he could make out in the sea of crimson, the dark, pulsing, blood red surrounding him.

The last string had been cut, and Michael knew he should be on the edge of the cliff, falling into the insanity that had been pulling at him since the first 'get out' had crossed Adam's mind. But it didn't even feel like insanity now - it felt like everything was ten times clearer than it was before. All he could think about was Chuck, and Adam, and himself, and the Cage. And how he hadn't deserved to be tossed aside when his Father was finished with him, how he hadn't deserved to be discarded like he didn't _matter_, like he hadn't slaved for his Father for his entire life. All he could think about was how easily his purpose had shattered, and how lost he had felt then. But he didn't feel lost anymore. He wasn't asking _why _anymore, because suddenly, he understood.

He took a step forward, toward Chuck, and nobody tried to stop him. But he didn't do anything, he didn't lift a hand against him. He just stared down at him, down at the man he had used to call his Father, his God, the man that had brought him into existence and thrown him aside just as easily. He just stared, trying to catch a glimpse of something other than the pathetic mess that he was now - and feeling so, so satisfied when he couldn't. Yes, Michael understood.

"... I pity you," the archangel mumbled, his fury reaching its peak, but at the same time, he had never felt calmer. It was an odd sensation - he was pissed, but for so many different reasons than before. It was rage, but there was also such a sense of indifference, something he had never really had before. Not really defeat… no, it was acceptance. He couldn't control who Chuck was, he couldn't change the monster that he had chosen to be. And agonizing over it was just getting exhausting. There was no point in it, not anymore. Hurting over someone who couldn't care less. What good could ever come out of that? With those thoughts in mind, he came to realize that the only thing he was angry about at this point was what Chuck had done to Adam. And speaking of that…

Chuck blinked at him, silent, speechless, offended, confused.

Michael stepped forward again, and, once more, nobody tried to stop him. Lucifer stayed still, Gabriel merely watched, Sam had stood and Castiel had inched forward, but they didn't move an inch otherwise. And Dean had retreated, a deep sense of satisfaction lingering in his chest. Approval, even. No, nobody tried to stop him. Not as he threw the first punch, nor as he reeled back, fists clenched, and went for a second. Nobody moved an _inch_.


	52. Chapter 52

"And these details just _happened _to slip your mind?"

Adam stared out the window, teeth grinding together, every part of him completely _itching _for some reason. He didn't like it, not one bit. Lying felt so _wrong_, and it was taking just about every bit of his strength at this point. But, it was necessary, and it was working. Bela had turned the car around, and although she was fuming, they were heading back to her penthouse instead, probably to think up another game plan. The demon hesitated a little, sparing a glance at the woman beside him. She was livid, and her eyes were black, but otherwise, she seemed surprisingly composed. If it weren't for the death glares she'd been shooting him for the past half hour, and the way her voice distorted sometimes, he wouldn't even know she was mad.

He licked his lips, fully aware that this chick could put him six feet under in an instant, and carefully chose his next words over. He'd already fed her some tale about the boys being off on a hunt somewhere, far away from Kansas - and he hated how easily the lie had slipped from his lips, too - all that was left was leading her away. "Yeah, well…" He trailed off, looking away. "Sorry? I don't pay that much attention to the Winchesters, y'know. Details like that are easy to forget." He set his jaw and swallowed, closing his eyes. He never thought he'd long for the Cage, but to be completely honest, right then, he regretted ever leaving it at all.

Bela made a low sound in the back of her throat, a mix of a scoff and a growl, but she didn't say a word. Just took a sharp turn, scowled, and continued driving. Adam grimaced and screwed his eyes shut, already knowing that she was going to make the rest of this car drive absolute hell for him. He wrapped his arms around himself and leaned his head back, sighing. Well, now was as good a time as any to check on Michael's… Michael's… emotions…

… oh, boy, that couldn't be good.

The demon's eyes flew open at once, inhaling sharply. Oh, yeah, he was pissed. He had never felt such anger from the archangel, such a burning, fiery, passionate kind of rage. He couldn't deny that it had his heart pumping in his chest a little bit quicker, sticking up in his throat, chest restricting, his breathing ceasing completely. The amount of fury was blinding, deafening, _spiraling_, and it rooted him right to the seat, paralyzed, unable to move, even a twitch of his fingers, a blink of his eyes. And then, just as quickly as it had flared up, it began to dissolve, to numb, shifting into something else; _Contempt._

He knew, at once, what was happening.

There was only one being in the world who could make Michael so angry, only one being in the world he would feel such complete, utter scorn, such _disdain _for. It had to be Chuck - and there was only one way he'd be feeling the emotions so strongly, as well. He was facing his Father. He had gotten there, he had gotten to Chuck, and Adam's anxiety exploded right then and there. He should have known Michael would keep going. He should never have gone with Bela in the first place, and now he was stuck here, while Michael was the one stuck with Chuck.

The demon bared his teeth and hissed, looking back out the window, finally able to pull himself out of the rage. But his own was steadily boiling up, directed at nobody but himself. There was nothing he would like more than to be back with the archangel, facing this with him, and the idea of him going through all of this alone just wasn't cutting it for him. Somehow, he had to find a way to get back there, and to dodge Bela in the process; And something was telling him that wasn't going to be easy at all. The demon in question looked over at him, bewildered, intrigued, eyebrows raising slightly as she stared at him, but she seemed too angry to care enough to ask.

Good. Adam didn't feel like answering any more questions right then.

Adam just wrapped his arms even tighter around himself and stayed silent, eyes fixed out the window, his chest aching with all of the emotions swirling on both his side and Michael's. They seemed a little stronger now, as if the connection between them had strengthened - and, oh, god, _good_, maybe some use could come out of it. He felt completely helpless.

* * *

He didn't move, and neither of them spoke, until they had returned to the penthouse. Bela didn't say a word to him - she was likely still fuming. Adam didn't blame her, but he had to do what he had to do to keep his family safe. All of his family; And that included Sam and Dean, along with Michael. The demon got out of the car just as quietly, stoic despite the anxiety writhing around in his chest and anxious despite the calm mask written across his face. Yes, Adam was a lot of different things right now, and he was lying with a lot more than his words, because he most certainly was not as calm as he would appear at first glance.

Bela retreated at once when they were inside, toward the bathroom, so Adam had to guess she was either showering or simply changing out of the dress. Lucky her, the demon grumbled a little as went to pour himself some wine. All he had to change into were more tuxedos, and he most certainly wasn't going to bother with that. He'd get himself something else later, steal a few suits from the store when she wasn't all up in his business. To be honest though, as angry as she was at him, he doubted his fashion sense was on her mind right then at all.

He downed the wine in just a few swallows, finding himself wishing, for the first time, that he did have a little bit of his humanity left. Or at least enough to get drunk off his ass. God knows he needed it - and, hell, he probably really _did _know, the scheming bastard… Frowning, the demon poured himself another glass and downed it again just as fast, then let out a low sigh and sank back into the chair beside the stand, glaring down into the empty cup with a frown. He didn't know how to get back to Michael, he didn't know how to get back to Chuck, he was stuck with this crazy bitch who could literally snap and kill him at any given second… yeah, really no different than being with Chuck, to be completely honest. Except, oh yeah. Michael.

The demon poured another glass, downed it, and repeated. Maybe if he drank mass amounts, it would start to have some kind of effect on him. Just enough to get him buzzed, maybe…

He was getting… tired. Really damn tired. In more ways than one. Sighing, Adam pushed himself up, stumbling a little bit in the process - nope, not drunk, just exhausted as hell. Then again, he wasn't sure how much he trusted sleep with a psycho crazy demon bitch loose in the house, so sleep wasn't much of an option. Rubbing his eyes, he set the glass down and took a few steps toward the doorway - only to pause and retreat again, just slightly. Then he started pacing. Slowly at first, almost hesitantly, before picking up the pace just a little, bringing his arms up around himself and closing his eyes. He understood why Michael did it; It was calming.

Closing his eyes, he started thinking. Thinking about Chuck, the house, Bela's appearance. It was all too sudden for his liking, and Adam… Adam was anything but dumb. He knew it had been too easy from the get-go, but, of course, he had just been more focused on getting back to Michael to see it clearly before. Now, though? Oh, he could see it clear as day. Maybe he didn't have all the details, maybe there were still some things to figure out; But was Chuck, _God_, really that stupid to leave him alone like that? And how would he not know someone was there? He should be able to know these things, to sense these things - He was _God_, after all, weak or not. No, something much bigger was at play here, and whatever it was, Bela was a part of it.

Whether she was being used, manipulated, controlled - or whether she was working _alongside _Chuck, however, that was still a fact that remained to be seen. So Adam had to be especially careful here, at least until he could figure out everything else. And until then, he had to keep a very, very strong distance, because he had a feeling this wasn't just going to stop with Bela. Whatever Chuck was planning here, whatever was going on…

No, Adam wasn't stupid. Not stupid enough.

He had to wonder, though, how much of Bela's story was real. The ring - the ring, that supposedly held the power of God. Or if maybe that was just a way to lure him in even further. The demon blinked his eyes open and looked up at the ceiling for a moment, then looked down. That numbing anger from Michael's side had vanished completely, softening into something a little more docile - and yet, something was much different. The submission, the passiveness that the archangel usually displayed, it seemed to have vanished all at once. There wasn't any anger left, but the contempt had remained, the disdain, and something even stronger pulsing below the surface. Despite himself, Adam couldn't help a small smile, because it was much more strength than the demon had been expecting, but just as much strength as Adam had always known he had deep down inside. He just wished he could be there to experience it, too.

The demon sighed and faltered to a stop, looking up at the ceiling. He had an advantage over Bela - or at least, he hoped so. With the chance that Bela was just being manipulated, controlled by Chuck with no real knowledge of what was going on - Adam could definitely use that. Hell, he might even be able to snap Bela out of it himself. Maybe she wasn't really the bad guy here - just like Lucifer, right? Adam rubbed his arm, looking toward the doorway for a moment.

He had to wonder what Michael would do in this situation.

The archangel would be cautious, of course. Careful. Consider the possible outcomes, consider what was going on. But, if Adam knew his friend, and he did know his friend, Michael would fixate on the possibility that Bela was being manipulated. Of course he would consider the fact that Bela already knew everything, but just the idea that she may be controlled by Chuck would be enough to make the archangel soften, to make him give her a chance. And he would try to fix it, to pull her out of whatever 'spell' Chuck had on her, to get her out of the situation she was in, help her break free of the chains that Michael had once been wrapped up in himself. He'd be compassionate and understanding, cautious but kind. Adam didn't know if he could do that. He didn't know how much like Michael he could be - but he'd be damned if he wasn't willing to try.

With that said, he wasn't going to be all chick-flick-moments and puppy-dog eyes. No, if he was going to 'fix' this, then he was going to do so in his _own _way. Do what Michael would do, but do it like _Adam_. The demon bit his lip and nodded a little to himself, turning to pick up the glass again and pour himself some more whiskey. He did so a little reluctantly this time, honestly kind of convinced that it might be making him even more tired than he already was.

He looked up when Bela finally entered the room. She looked a lot calmer now, eyes back to normal, arms folded across her chest, her expression completely relaxed. She had changed out of the dress, wearing instead a red low-cut top, jeans, and boots. The demon furrowed his eyebrows slightly, watching her for a moment before ripping his gaze away and downing the rest of his glass, letting out a low, barely-audible groan in the back of his throat. This was gonna be a long day. And he was that much more exhausted already.

"Okay," Bela spoke up after a few moments, striding over to the stand and grabbing a glass. Instead of grabbing the wine, however, she went straight for a bottle of champagne - and Adam stopped, watching, realizing exactly what it was before she had even opened it. Strawberry. The woman hardly waited for the glass to fill before she brought it to her lips and downed it. Then, clearing her throat, she spun around to face Adam, eyes narrowing. "What are they hunting?"

Adam blinked at her, unable to help but wonder how, exactly, that was relevant at all. "Ghouls," he replied, somewhat numbly. It was the first thing that popped into his head, and it was the first thing that had left his lips during his earlier explanation. He didn't know why - he hated the word. He hated those monsters. "In, uh… Minnesota, I think." The demon clicked his teeth together. Lying still made him feel bad. Dirty, on the inside and out. He wanted to get into the shower and scrub until he bled, to be completely honest, until the stupid guilt went away already.

Bela stared at him for a moment, silent, then simply poured herself another glass and downed it just as fast as before. Adam stared at her, flicking his gaze to the bottle every so often.

"Alright, Minnesota." Bela cleared her throat, putting the bottle down. Adam let his gaze linger on it for a moment, but he glanced back at the other demon when she spoke up again. "That's fine… this is fine…" The woman paused, green eyes narrowing slightly toward Adam. "Right?"

Adam blinked back at her, silent for a moment, then forced a hesitant smile in response. "Yeah, totally fine," he agreed, downing the rest of his wine and stepping forward, reaching for the bottle of champagne now instead. Bela glanced over at his hand, but she didn't say a word, flicking her gaze back up to his face almost immediately. Her mouth twisted, lips pressing into a thin, neutral line as she stared at him. "We could probably catch up with them… or," he added, a little slower, eyes narrowing faintly in consideration. "Or, we could track Crowley instead."

"No," Bela muttered simply, and Adam grimaced slightly, but he couldn't really say he was surprised by the disagreement. Unfortunately, though, it was definitely enough confirmation that she wasn't just out for the ring, otherwise she'd have agreed. No, she wanted the Winchesters. For whatever reason, she wanted the Winchesters. Whether for revenge, or for some greater plan - whatever the reason. Bela narrowed her eyes, watching him. Again, like he was some kind of puzzle she was trying to figure out. He wondered if she could see that he was doing the same thing, studying her, trying to understand, to put all the pieces together.

Then, finally, heaving out a sigh, Bela merely sighed and looked back down at Adam's glass, watching the demon pour the champagne up to the rim. He didn't even bother getting another cup - there hadn't been enough wine mixed in for it to make a difference, and even if there was, he couldn't give a damn anyway. He took a sip, licking his lips, before downing half the glass. And, sighing, he put the bottle down - and Bela reached out for it to pour herself some more.

"So we'll just catch up to them in Minnesota," the other demon was mumbling to herself, downing a few more swallows of the champagne, but not draining her glass quite yet. Adam watched her, a faint frown tugging at his lips. "Shouldn't be too hard to figure out their location, considering that they're on a hunt. All we have to do is follow the monster…"

Adam let out a low hum in the back of his throat and didn't respond, hesitating a little bit at that. Yeah, the fact that there wasn't really a ghoul hunt to look into would definitely hinder those plans - and raise some suspicion - but he would cross that bridge when it came to it. If need be, he'd simply pass it off as him just being wrong about the location after all. But he wasn't sure how much he could lie before the other demon did catch on. Or how long this would take. The demon grimaced slightly, and lifted the glass back to his lips to hide it.

"You don't have a problem with that, do you?" Bela asked, innocent on the surface, but her green eyes were narrowed and direct, staring straight at him. Great, she was already looking for ulterior motives - Adam was definitely a little rusty on the whole 'lying' thing.

"Why would I?" The demon narrowed his eyes slightly at the woman, eyebrows raising, head tilting. Not equally innocent, by any means, but completely inquiring. "According to you, I'm not running from something, am I? Definitely not from the Winchesters. Believe me, I want to get back to them more than you want to find this ring." Boy, was that the truth, and it was one of the first he had been able to speak since the car. Bela held his gaze for a while, thinking.

But, if nothing else, she seemed to accept that as the truth. Because it was the truth, if nothing else. The demon grunted and looked back down, sipping from her glass once again, and Adam relaxed once again, shifting himself back to lean against the wall and crossing one leg over the other, wrapping one arm around himself and bringing the glass back to his lips. They stood there in silence for a while, both of them lost in their own thoughts, before Bela cleared her throat and straightened up, downing the rest of what was in her glass and leaving the room. Adam watched her go, quiet, then turned away once more and finished off his own champagne.

He looked down into his glass for a moment, contemplating, but looked up again when Bela returned to the room, cracking her knuckles, her glass gone. "So, Minnesota… It'll take more time to get there than it would have taken to get to Kansas… Are you finished?" The other demon mumbled, pausing beside him. Adam glanced over, and she gave him a pointed look, then nodded to the glass. The demon paused, looking over at the bottle of champagne, then reluctantly handed the cup over to her. It certainly wasn't getting him drunk, and he was tired. "Good. Put some foil on the bottle, would you? Anyway, as I was saying… bit of an inconvenience, but I'll work with it." She spun around, leaving the room again.

Adam paused and rubbed his eyes, scanning the stand for the foil she'd been talking about. It took him a moment to find it, his vision blurry with exhaustion, but he did as told, folding it over the opening of the bottle and placing it back in the bucket of ice, just in time as Bela entered the room again, drying her hands off on a rag. She slowed a bit as she passed him, sparing a glance up at the demon; He looked down, catching her gaze.

She stopped in front of him, her eyes not moving from his, and he paused slightly, watching the colors burst to life again. The blues and greys - he knew, in some cases, it was normal for someone to have so many different colors in their eyes, but hers were just completely vibrant. It was certainly something to look at - definitely intriguing. He found himself staring longer than he would have liked to admit, and she wasn't moving her own gaze anytime soon.

Finally, clearing his throat, the demon forced his lips to move, struggling to get the words out. "So when are we leaving?" He asked, steady and simple, holding her gaze.

"Oh, soon," Bela replied vaguely, head tilting to the side as she watched him. She turned completely to face him, as well, chin raising just a little bit as she folded the rag over her hands and quirked an eyebrow. "I'd just like to be sure you're confident of Sam and Dean's location this time before we actually set off on the road." Her mouth twitched, a dry smile threatening to brew at the surface. "With your faulty sense of memory and all."

So they were back to this - well, at least she wasn't pissed at him anymore. He couldn't stop his lips from twitching in time, in response, curling upwards at one corner into a very faint half-smirk as he flicked his gaze away from her, just for a second. Faulty sense of memory - sure. But, he'd play along. "Probably a good idea," he murmured. "Actually, come to think of it…"

"What?" Bela huffed, the sound a mixture of a laugh and a sigh. Adam brought his gaze back to her, his smirk widening ever so slightly at the amused yet irritated look flickering through those sharp green eyes. "Don't tell me, they're actually up in the North Pole?"

"Mm." Adam raised an eyebrow at her, unable to keep the grin off his face now. And he didn't even know why it was so easy to smile like this around her, so easy to tease and joke and taunt. It was only like this with one other person - but even then, him and Michael didn't share this kind of loathing that came along with the banter he and Bela seemed to carry. With the archangel, it was playful and sweet, on both ends; With Bela, it was something of a contest, who could make the snarkiest comment, think of the wittiest comeback. "Yeah, didn't you hear? Santa Claus is a monster. The Winchesters had to go put him down."

"How dreadful," Bela murmured. "I hope they don't get Jingle Bell'd to death."

Adam heaved out a soft, dramatic sigh, offering a faint shrug of his shoulders and feigning a mockingly resigned expression. "Or run over by a reindeer…" At this, Bela choked slightly on nothing but air - and then completely burst into a fit of laughter, so intense that she doubled over, covering her mouth. And, unable to stop himself in time, Adam let out a few chuckles of his own. Like every bit of suspicion and distrust had dissolved, all too easily, in that moment. And he didn't know how to feel about it - but even more so, he didn't know how to remind himself that she couldn't be trusted, not even a little. They could laugh, and joke, and tease all they wanted - but at the end of the day, the fact of the matter was… she was the enemy.

Then she straightened up, the grin still on her face, her eyes sparkling even brighter, and Adam forgot, once again, how to break eye contact. And he forgot, once again, to distance himself.

The laughter ceased; She stared at him, watching the grin on his face slip into something a little more serious, and her own smile faded in response. Her eyes never left his, gaze flickering, holding a question Adam wasn't sure he could answer honestly now. Every part of him was aching again, every bone in his body being ground down to powder - hell, to liquid, like he was about ready to melt into a puddle. And he felt hot, he felt hotter than when he'd sit in the Cage, the flames flickering at the bars, hotter than when the fire from his torture would consume him, burning off pieces of his flesh until Michael or Lucifer could bring him back and heal the scars. Yes, he felt hot, from the tips of his toes to his ears, but he was also freezing cold.

But when she stretched up, sudden, too fast for him to react, and pressed her lips to his - the cold and the hot seemed to slam together at once, mashing into a completely new sensation. He gasped, sharp and unsteady, as he was pushed back into the wall behind him, and as Bela pressed herself forward. And before Adam could even really register what he was doing, he was kissing her back, just as hard, just as intense, just as needy, just as desperate.

And, oh, god, was he hating himself by the time they had pulled apart.

Adam had to keep himself back, to physically restrain himself from leaning after her as the other demon pulled away, just slightly. She had a hand pressed against his chest now - and he was sure she could feel his heart pounding faster than the speed of light, the shaky breaths he was taking, in and out, as he struggled to get his bearings back, to compose himself. Her fingers seemed to curl into his shirt a little tighter, the rag slipping from her other hand and reaching up, instead, to place her other hand on his chest, beside the one already pressed over his heart.

This was wrong, completely wrong. He couldn't trust her - for all he knew, this was just her way of manipulating him, getting closer to him. Then, that thought - that turned his mind to a completely different direction. If that was the case, then why not let her? Why not continue what he'd been doing, and keep playing along? Sure, she was the enemy - but a certain quote came to mind, something Lucifer had said to him; _Friends close, enemies closer._

With a shaky sigh, Bela began to pull away; Adam reached up without really thinking about it, grabbing her wrists before she could pull her hands away from his chest. She stared, but she didn't protest, didn't move, didn't even blink. Just stared. And he stared back.

And, as if some switch had been flipped, some unspoken word had been said, she surged up to kiss him again. And he found himself responding just as quickly this time, his heart jumping to his throat and continuing to pound harder and faster than ever before. He shoved himself away from the wall, not breaking his lips apart from hers, and her hands left his chest to wrap around his neck instead as he took a few stumbling steps forward, wrapping his arms around her, pulling them just a little closer together than before. A part of him continued to scream that this was wrong, on so many levels, this was _wrong_.

Bela shoved him back abruptly, pushed him down - and he half expected to land on the floor. But, instead, he sank back into the couch; Before he could react much, though, she was in front of him again, leaning over him, arms around his neck and her lips pressed to his.

_There's a difference between trusting people and taking advantage of a situation. _Crowley had said that to him once, just before they'd parted ways, the last time he had seen the demon. Yeah, Adam was beginning to realize that he was certainly right about that. He hated this chick more than he ever thought he could hate anyone, and he didn't trust her, even a little.

That being said, though, if this was wrong, Adam could live with never being right again.


	53. Chapter 53

"Sorry… I'm sorry…"

Michael couldn't apologize enough. A stream of 'sorry's had already left his lips, and he hadn't shown any sign of stopping for a long time. But his apologies weren't directed to the man on the couch - the now-unconscious man, with blood dripping from his nose and mouth - but they were directed to Dean, who busying himself with washing the blood off his knuckles. The hunter had long given up trying to console the archangel that he was fine - the reassurances fell on deaf ears, the guilt not stifled a bit. So he only laughed, short and quiet, as he shut the water off and reached over for a rag, rubbing it over his hand in silence. Michael watched silently, frowning.

"Michael," Lucifer's voice made Michael jump - and Dean whirled around at once, still wary of the Devil, despite his words earlier. The archangel couldn't really say he blamed the hunter - it _was _the Devil, after all, and Dean had killed him. Michael would be wary, too. Lucifer was grinning as he entered the room, blue eyes bright and sparkling with an emotion Michael couldn't place, but one that made his heart stop. "That was _awesome_."

He recognized it, that tone, that look. That was awe, respect, pride. And it broke something in the archangel, despite the fact that it should have had the opposite effect. Because he genuinely couldn't remember the last time Lucifer had looked at him like that, with such amazement and admiration, and, in response, Michael's chest tightened. Through all of that, though, he managed a somewhat shaky smile in response, looking down as Dean continued to dry off his hands. "Yeah," was all he could mumble, trying to force back the pain.

Lucifer's eyebrows furrowed, clearly not understanding, but he said nothing else on the subject. His eyes darted down to Dean's hand, and he paused for a second before moving forward, reaching a hand out. In response, the hunter pulled back, just a little bit - but he stayed still after that, going completely still, long enough for Lucifer to pass his hand over Dean's, easily healing the bruises that were beginning to form. Dean said nothing, just watched, eyes narrowing.

"So, it looks like we're gonna have to speed up the process…" Lucifer paused, flicking his eyes over Dean's face, and he suddenly looked a little more cautious than before. Michael blinked a little, tilting his head slightly. He hadn't retreated, hadn't retracted the power he had since he had taken over to approach Chuck. Dean hadn't protested to it, and they were sharing control easily enough, but the hunter still seemed a little startled whenever his own body would move without _him _moving it - so Michael was trying to keep his movements to a minimum.

"The Cage…" Michael mumbled a little uncomfortable. His eyes darted to the doorway when someone else walked into the kitchen - it was Gabriel, looking just as pissed as he had when they had entered the house. The archangel frowned, watching his younger brother make his way straight to Lucifer's side. Michael just watched him, hesitating, concerned, but ultimately he decided against asking, recalling their last conversation.

Dean's eyebrows knitted together, but he was silent.

"Yeah." Lucifer shoved his hands into his pockets, looking mildly frustrated. His gaze darted toward Gabriel, then away again, while the youngest archangel just sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "I mean, this whole thing kinda threw a wrench in. Jack and Billie are stressing themselves out trying to figure out how the Cage works, and Amara…" He trailed off for a second, mouth twisting. Michael paused a bit at that, looking back at the Devil. He wasn't a big fan of their dear old Aunt, and he never had been, but the look on his brother's face was nothing short of unsettling - and he didn't like what it implied, at all.

"Is she…?"

"She's okay," Gabriel chose that moment to cut in, looking just a little more relaxed - Michael guessed it had something to do with the fact that he wasn't near Chuck anymore. Unconscious or not, the man seemed to piss Gabriel off in a way he'd never seen before. "A little hurt. Chuck figured out that she was only trying to distract him, caught her by surprise, and…" The youngest archangel shrugged a little bit, and so did Lucifer, though he looked much more frustrated. "She was already there by the time I got the Cage to the Empty. Jack was trying to heal her."

"So we're down two players." The Devil's eyes narrowed slightly, looking away. Michael hesitated a little bit at that, looking away for a second. Lucifer studied him silently, a glimmer of recognition flickering through his eyes as he nodded. "Yeah. Adam, and Amara." Lucifer grimaced slightly and shook his head, huffing out a frustrated sigh. "I've been working on tracking him, but - so far, I can't get anything. It's like Chuck warded him against us." His mouth twisted slightly, eyes narrowing. "Probably to distract us."

Michael's eyes hardened slightly at that, his fury rising once again. It sounded just like Chuck to do something like that, and it pissed him off. He wanted to go back in there and give his so-called Father a piece of his mind again, but he couldn't do that. Well - he _could_, by all means, but there were bigger things to worry about than Chuck.

"What about your connection thing?" Dean spoke up after a good few seconds - and Michael startled, then relaxed. Lucifer looked confused for a second, and Gabriel just looked bewildered - but the Devil realized it rather quickly, head tilting slightly, curiosity replacing the confusion. "Probably our best shot at finding Adam," Dean added, glancing away. Michael furrowed his eyebrows slightly; The hunter had a point, but he couldn't seem to strengthen the connection any further than he already had. He wasn't sure _how, _to be completely honest.

"Connection?" Lucifer raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly.

"Adam and I… we're still connected, I think," Michael mumbled, still a little unsure whether it _was _a connection or whether it was just his own insanity coming into play again. "I've been feeling things - things from… well, from him, I'm pretty sure."

"And you saw him here, with Chuck," Dean reminded him, and Michael's eyes widened slightly. In the chaos of it all, he had actually forgotten that particular fact - but it certainly strengthened his hope that maybe there was a way he could connect with Adam, maybe even figure out how to communicate with him. Lucifer tipped his head to the side, looking thoughtful now, the gears in his head already turning. And Gabriel's confusion finally fizzled out to understanding, and then the same thoughtfulness that was written across his brother's face appeared, lips pursing.

"You might be onto something, Winchester," Lucifer finally spoke up, and Dean quirked an eyebrow at him in response. The Devil's lips twitched slightly, looking toward Gabriel. The youngest archangel returned the look, crossing his arms over his chest and puffing his cheeks out slightly. Then, abruptly, he went rigid, his head turning toward the living room once again.

"Yeah." Gabriel turned to face the doorway, eyes darkening faintly. Michael blinked, confused, but before the youngest archangel could get any further, before the oldest could ask what was wrong, Lucifer moved forward, placing a hand lightly over his younger brother's shoulder, directing his attention back to them quickly.

"Take a moment to calm down," Lucifer advised, and held up a hand, silencing Gabriel's protests before they even began. "Really, G. I'll take care of him, 'kay? You just relax. Your anger isn't hurting anybody but yourself." Without waiting for a response, he turned and left the kitchen. Michael watched him go, and Dean's eyebrows rose slightly, almost seeming impressed. A little bewildered, and kind of shocked, but definitely impressed. Gabriel closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath in and letting it out slowly, looking away.

Michael watched him carefully, still wanting to ask, but not having the courage yet. Dean, however, was a different story. Flicking his gaze back and forth between the youngest archangel and the doorway, the hunter leaned back on his feet and crossed his arms over his chest. "You okay?" Gabriel's head turned slightly in his direction, but he didn't reply for a moment.

"Yeah. I guess." The archangel rolled his shoulders back and shook his head a little, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. Dean raised an eyebrow, unconvinced but silent.

"You don't seem-" Michael started, stopped, and bit his tongue.

Gabriel glanced over at him, no clear emotion written across his face. It was almost blank, just for a good few seconds - before, suddenly, it fizzled out, dissolving, cracking into something a little more vulnerable. Just a little. The youngest archangel turned his head to look back toward the living room, then closed his eyes and ducked his head a little, bringing his hands up to the sides of his head and brushing his hair back with a low, hissing sigh. "I just want it to be over."

Something flickered through Dean's mind, a glimmer of recognition. _I want it to be over! I have to sit back and watch my own brothers kill each other, thanks to you two! _ _Heaven, Hell- I don't care who wins! I just want it to be over! _His voice was so pained, so hurt, so angry, desperate…

Michael couldn't help but soften, staring at his youngest brother. Of course, Gabriel wasn't okay; It probably felt like the Big Fight was happening all over again. Like the rebellion, Lucifer's betrayal, the archangels turning against each other was happening all over again. Gabriel never did well during the fights - even the smaller arguments, disagreements, he despised. Even when they'd had to seal away Amara, he had been reluctant. It was part of the reason he had adopted such a light, teasing personality in the first place, his way of attempting to diffuse the tension, and pretend it didn't hurt. And then when things had escalated, he had just left.

This wasn't much different. It didn't matter who was in the wrong. It was a fight, it was a betrayal, and it would end with them having to put away somebody they had once loved. Even if that somebody had never really loved them; It was hard for Gabriel to turn away from family, it always would be. But it was even harder for him to forgive them when they wronged him. Because he built them all up, put them on a pedestal, and when it crumbled, so did he.

And this was their Father, one who, despite everything, they had all trusted. Michael had been disappointed, confused, scared, and hurt - but Gabriel was turning all of that into fury. He wasn't allowing himself to feel the pain of it all, and that was more worrying than anything else.

"I'm sorry, Gabriel," Michael muttered, and Gabriel paused slightly, looking back over at him. He didn't say anything, just shook his head and dropped his arms to his sides, looking away. He didn't really know what to say, what to do to console his brother. I mean, what could anyone say to make this situation better, to make it seem a little easier? Nothing about this was easy, for any of them. Even Lucifer, Michael could tell, was reaching the edge. No, this was going to be hard for everyone involved, because this wasn't just their Father - this was _God_. Weak as he may be, he knew things about them they might not even know, he knew how to get to each of them, he knew what would get under their skin and what could crack them, break them. He wasn't just a manipulator - he was _the _manipulator, and possibly the biggest foe all of them had ever faced. What could you say to make any of that okay?

The archangel shook his head a little bit and looked away, flicking his gaze around the room. He sank back a little against the counter behind them, and Dean moved his arms back, gripping the edge of the counter. The hunter was silent, odd emotions flickering in his chest. He seemed to be realizing, for the first time, that the humans definitely weren't the only ones affected by everything going on. If anything, the angels likely had it even worse. At least the ones who felt like it was their job to pick up the pieces of the mess Chuck had made, or the ones determined to fix it to prove they really aren't what they seem, or the ones who step in, albeit reluctantly, seeking justice and vengeance, but also closure. Those were the ones who suffered, because they were the ones that would be left to pick up the pieces yet again when Chuck was gone.

They were the ones who knew it would never really be over.

Dean ran his tongue over his lips and looked down, silent but understanding.

Michael furrowed his eyebrows slightly and closed his eyes, letting out a soft sigh. It almost wasn't fair, the lives they led. The things they had to do, the shattered pieces they had to pick up, and the wounds they'd have to heal. No, it wasn't fair - yet, at the same time, with that thought in mind, it might just be what they all needed. Yes, it hurt like hell - it was going to, and there was no stopping that. But it didn't hurt as much for Michael - at least, the idea of Chuck not really being who he said he was, who he thought he was, it had set in already, and he was accepting it. Furthermore, he was accepting that he had no control over that. He couldn't change who is Father was - that wasn't his responsibility. When he was gone, Michael would be left to fix things, but he wouldn't be doing so alone, would he?

There was Lucifer, who, after everything, was doing this for the greater good. Not out of revenge, but out of justice. Struggling to prove that he was never the villain Chuck had painted him into, and that it wasn't his fault. He had as much to make up for as Michael did. Things that weren't really his own doing. After all of this, Michael had to wonder if he would keep moving on like that even after they sealed Chuck away. Maybe this was his turning point.

He'd have Adam, and he'd make sure of that. The demon had been by his side for years, and he wasn't ready for that to change. And he didn't think Adam was ready for it, either.

This entire mess brought on a lot of bad, but he couldn't help but think of the good it had brought, too. He and Adam had been released from the Cage, reunited with their brothers, reconciling with them, mending the broken pieces _they _had left behind. Of course, Chuck probably hadn't meant for that to happen. For Lucifer and Michael to team up against him, and for Gabriel to join in the fray. But it had happened, and it was good - it was _so _good, and it felt like a light at the end of the dark tunnel they were treading through. Despite himself, a smile tugged at the archangel's lips, blinking his eyes open and staring at the floor.

"What is it?" Gabriel shifted over to stand beside him, leaning forward against the counter and folding his arms over it. Michael looked over at him, his smile softening slightly, not fading.

"I'm just thinking," the archangel mumbled, looking up at the ceiling and exhaling softly through his teeth. His eyebrows furrowed faintly, and Gabriel's head tilted a little, silent but inquiring. "It's just - all of this is so- it's so horrible, isn't it? It's awful, what he's doing, what he's done…" Michael blinked a few times, looking back over at his younger brother. "But even then, with all the bad - there's still some good that came out of it, isn't there?"

Gabriel stared at him, not understanding.

"Think about it," Michael pressed, eyebrows pinching together. "I mean, look - look at what Lucifer's doing. Look at what _we're _doing. All of us, together. I mean, the circumstances could definitely be a lot better, but…" The archangel heaved out a sigh and looked back toward the living room for a moment. "But it feels like maybe this isn't so bad after all."

For a moment, Gabriel looked at him like he was insane. But as the words really began to sink in, and the meaning behind them, and how true they were, began to register, the bewildered expression on his face softened, just a little. And then it dissolved completely, and that vulnerability was back. This time, it was different, though. This time, he was letting it. "Yeah." His younger brother closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, turning his head away and staring down at his hands. He brought them together over the counter, lacing his fingers together and biting down on his lip as he struggled to think of what to say, how to say it. Michael stayed silent until he had. "... Are we real?"

Michael paused, looking over at him. For the first time, he was catching a glimpse of the younger brother he had known so long ago, the one who had looked to him for answers the way all the others used to. It had been a long time since anyone had looked at him like that, begging for answers he didn't know he could give. Adam didn't look at him so helplessly like that; They figured things out together. This was all on Michael to answer, and he didn't know how to begin.

The archangel looked down, slowly pushing himself away from the counter. He turned to face it instead, leaning forward beside his brother and crossing his arms over the top of the counter, fingers digging into the sleeves of Dean's jacket. He lifted his head, looking through the window - it was dark, the stars glittering dimly in the sky. Even they seemed a little duller. Michael's mouth twisted slightly, breathing in slowly and letting out a soft, silent sigh. It was an accurate question to ask in this situation, but so, so hard to answer. When he had consoled Castiel on the fact that his feelings for the Winchesters, and their feelings for him, were real - he had been going off of the belief that Chuck had really been gone. Now, with the knowledge that he wasn't, how was he supposed to reassure Gabriel of the same thing?

He looked down, rubbing his thumb over the fabric of the jacket, hesitating for a long time before he managed to force himself to speak. "I don't know." He looked up toward the sky again, ducking his head a little bit to get a better look at the stars up above. "I feel real."

Gabriel glanced over at him, then looked down again. "So do I."

"Maybe we're not real to him," Michael mumbled, closing his eyes for a moment. "But I think we're real." He hesitated for a moment, biting his tongue. It was true, he felt real. His siblings felt real. The anger felt real, the confusion and pain, it all felt real. The archangel blinked his eyes open and looked over at his younger brother. Gabriel was staring down now, rubbing his hands together silently, but he looked up when Michael spoke again. "You're real to me."

Gabriel paused for a moment, eyes flickering as he held the older archangel's gaze. But he seemed to relax, the tension draining from him once again, whether temporarily or not. His shoulders dropped, sinking his weight forward against the counter, and he exhaled, slow and steady, looking away again with a short, hesitant nod. It was a little while before he spoke again, somewhat uncertainly. "... You too."

Michael managed a tiny, hesitant smile in response, watching as Gabriel turned away again. He propped his elbows up on the counter, putting his chin in his hands, and Michael looked down for a moment. Dean was running his hand along the sleeve of his jacket, silent now, just watching and listening as the archangels interacted. Michael paused for a moment, feeling guilty again, wondering if the hunter would rather him retract his control again - but Dean protested before he could, gaze flicking up slightly, head shaking a little bit. He was fine. Just thinking.

The archangel sighed, then winced, his jaws forcing themselves apart in a yawn as he tilted his head back. He was… exhausted, after everything. And it was a little surprising, considering Dean wasn't tired at all - if anything, he seemed rather energized. Michael knew what it was, of course, the stress, the fact that he wasn't at full power.

Watching him, Gabriel let out a few snickers, the tension gone, a teasing smile playing at the youngest archangel's lips now as he grinned over at his oldest brother. "Sounds like someone's a little sleepy," he hummed, pushing himself backwards away from the counter. Michael stepped back a little with him, but he let Dean take control to turn them around, once again keeping movements to a minimum - more or less so he didn't exhaust himself to the point of passing out now, though, since Dean didn't seem particularly uncomfortable with him anymore anyway. "Lemme guess - biggest bro needs a nappy-bye?"

Michael lightly hit the youngest archangel's foot with his own, only so Gabriel's laughter would double; And it did, so the archangel just smiled tiredly, taking the win. "Shut up."

Gabriel tilted his head, his grin not faltering for a second. Dean rolled his eyes a little, seeming amused. "I don't know whether to be offended or proud that I made the big softy Michael tell me to 'shut up'," he taunted further, only getting a grin out of his oldest brother as the archangel looked down, still shaking his head a little and heaving out a soft sigh. "Nah, but for real - if you're tired, sleep. Trust me, I know what it's like being all depowered like that, and exhaustion is only one step away from unconsciousness." An odd look crossed his brother's face, glancing away. "And, yeah… s'not fun. For the record though, we're trying to figure out a way to strengthen you up. Amara thinks she could help, but she's kind of…"

"I'm okay," Michael protested softly, rubbing a hand over his mouth and fighting back another yawn, blinking a few times and looking away. He didn't know how true that was anymore - he'd been hoping that maybe he'd just be able to wait it out, and he'd get stronger on his own, but that didn't seem to be working. The archangel sighed, dropping his hand with a shrug.

"Sure you are, sleeping beauty."

"He's right," Dean cut in before Michael could respond to his brother, and the archangel paused to listen as the hunter continued, "you oughta rest while you can. Gonna have to be as strong as possible right now if you're gonna find Adam, right?"

Damn. Winchester knew him good. Judging by the grin on Gabriel's face, he was thinking the same thing. The youngest archangel just turned, looking amused, and left the room. Michael heaved out a sigh and gave in, but he stayed slightly in control as Dean followed after his younger brother. He just wanted to see if Lucifer and the others were going to be okay with Chuck - and, at first glance, it certainly seemed that day. In fact, they all seemed to have everything under control. Lucifer and Sam were busy tying Chuck down into a chair; Sam was securing the binds around his ankles and Lucifer was pulling his arms taut behind the chair, spreading his fingers apart so he couldn't snap them - a good idea on the Devil's part, both Michael and Dean noted.

He was also relieved to see them working together. Of course, Sam was tense, notably so; He continued shooting uncertain glances toward Lucifer every now and again as he worked, but the Devil wasn't even paying any attention to him at all, completely focused on the task at hand. Chuck just looked frustrated, and pissed, alternating his glare between the two of them, but he wasn't struggling. A new bruise forming on the side of his face, and the blood on Lucifer's knuckles, told Michael all he needed to know to understand why _that _was.

"This isn't gonna hold me," their Father was grumbling, but he paused, eyes flickering up, as Dean entered the room. "Oh-" A sharp, sarcastic smile formed on his face, sneering slightly at them - but a swift left hook from Lucifer knocked whatever he was about to say right out of him. Chuck turned his head to the side, spitting out blood, and spared his son a vicious death glare. Lucifer didn't even hold his gaze, ducking around the back of the chair and continuing what he was doing without another word. Dean snickered.

"Fine…" Chuck licked his lips, spitting out a little more blood, and flicked his eyes away from them, toward his desk. "Can I at least have my-"

"_No_," Sam and Lucifer snapped at the same time, cutting him off. They were both equally pissed, equally irritated - the Devil snorted a little bit, and Sam's lips twitched slightly, tightening the binds one last time and straighten it up. Chains, it looked like - and, upon closer inspection, they had the same markings as the one around the Cage. Michael couldn't help a small smile.

"... laptop…" Chuck rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. Michael studied him for a moment, eyes narrowing slightly. For all his frustration, he could see it clearly; His Father was terrified. And, of course he was, he couldn't do anything. He was trapped by all these people who were so unbelievably pissed off at him, and he couldn't _do _anything. Damn right, he was scared - and damn right, he should be, because nobody here was going to go easy on him.

That point was proven when Castiel picked up the laptop in question, looking it over. "This one?" He asked Chuck, and every head turned toward him, everyone paused - and then Chuck nodded, a grin slowly appearing on his face - only to vanish when Castiel held the laptop up with one hand, raised his other, curled it into a fist, and slammed it straight through.

Gabriel was the first one to start laughing. Doubling over, the youngest archangel wrapped his arms around himself and simply started wheezing, choking on his laughter. Lucifer had followed along not too long after, and at that point, Sam had cracked a grin and a few chuckles, himself. Dean was the next to follow, and Michael only grinned, genuinely proud of his younger brother. That was definitely one of the most satisfying things he'd ever seen. That, accompanied by the half-horrified, half-pissed off look on Chuck's face.

Castiel tossed the laptop at Chuck's feet, eyes narrowed. "Yeah. You can have it." Chuck didn't respond, just stared down at the broken laptop, eyes flickering with fury. His gaze flickered back up to Castiel, then darted back down. He didn't say a word. Castiel looked about as satisfied as Michael felt, shaking his hand clean of the pieces of glass and broken parts from the laptop that had stuck to his skin, calm and collected as ever - and Michael just continued to grin.

"Well, he's not going anywhere," Lucifer finally spoke up after a moment, a shit-eating grin written across his face as he patted the side of his Father's face, almost tauntingly; Chuck jerked his head away with a scowl, but he seemed to know better than to try to speak again. Sam hummed slightly in agreement, and Lucifer glanced over at him. Then, clearing his throat, Lucifer turned and promptly slammed his fist into Chuck's face again; Their Father's head rolled back against the back of the chair, and he didn't move after that. Lucifer turned back to them, satisfied. "I'm gonna head back to the Empty, see if Billie and Jack have anything on the Cage."

Castiel's head whirled in his direction at once, and nobody failed to notice. Definitely not Lucifer, who offered the other angel a short, amused-looking smile. "If you want, Cassie, you can tag along," he told him innocently, crossing his arms. "Sure he'd be happy to see you."

The angel didn't respond immediately, but the gratitude that flickered across his face spoke volumes. Gabriel glanced over at Lucifer, a faint smile appearing on his face - but it was gone before anyone but Michael and Dean could notice it. "Tell him hi for us, Cas," Dean murmured, glancing over at Castiel, and while looking mildly surprised, he nodded.

Sam exhaled slowly, eyebrows furrowing. "Yeah. Tell him- tell him…" He trailed off and swallowed, seeming unable to finish that sentence.

"Okay, don't get all emotional," Lucifer sighed, raising his hands. "It's not like you'll never see him again, okay? Billie's working on restoring his soul-" At this, Dean went rigid, but he didn't say a word. A mixture of feelings rose up in his chest, though, and uncertainty and relief were only two of many. "-which, I mean, he's good enough to come back already, but he's just been staying behind to help with the Cage." The Devil shrugged. "He's fine."

Sam glanced at Dean, almost the exact same myriad of emotions crossing his face. Neither hunter said a word, just looked back at Lucifer, silent as ever.

"Anywho…" Lucifer paused, glancing between them, then looked over at Castiel. "I'll get Billie to send you through." With that, the bright, sparkling blue eyes went blank, and Jack's body crumpled; Gabriel caught him with a seemingly practiced ease, moving him over to the couch. Then, turning, he headed over to Castiel - and, then, with the same ease, he caught the angel as he, too, began to fall, completely lifeless for the time being. Michael watched as Gabriel dragged him over to the couch, gently pushing him down beside Lucifer, and leaned back.

"... Well," Dean muttered, staring at the two limp bodies. "That happened."

Sam raised his eyebrows and snorted a little, but he was silent, turning to check on Chuck. Well, checking to make sure he was unconscious, Michael presumed, because he turned back to them after only a few seconds, and Chuck hadn't moved an inch. "... Now what?"

Gabriel crossed his arms, looking thoughtful, then pursed his lips. "Porn."

Michael decided that was as good a time as any to retreat - and Dean seemed to want to do the same thing, completely exasperated as he tried to explain to Gabriel that 'you don't watch porn in a room full of dudes' while Sam just started chuckling again. Michael simply retreated, growing more and more tired the further he ventured into the darkness. By the time he found the memory he was looking for, he could barely keep his eyes open. Hell, he could barely walk.

He fell forward into the mulch, letting the scent surround him, letting it throw him back. He buried his face into his arms and heaved out a soft, quiet sigh, listening to the sound of the swings creaking, the leaves on the trees rustling. And he listened until the sounds faded, until the darkness finally pulled him under. He wasn't quite content, but for the moment, he relaxed.


	54. Chapter 54

It was dark.

Adam could still see, a little better than he would have as a human, but the room was pitch black. Curtains drawn, door closed. He and Bela had - kissing all the while - made their way back to her bedroom, as she had decided they shouldn't stay on the couch much longer if things were going to escalate. But he was positive that, even if he couldn't see, he'd still know every inch of the woman beside him just as easily, every part that he had already explored, every curve and bump and every little scar that littered her body, each one long closed up, a pale white standing out against the tan skin. He traced one up her shoulder as she leaned up for yet another kiss, a smile tugging at his lips as he dipped his head down to comply.

Her fingers dug lightly into the back of his neck, and he grunted a little, breaking the kiss for a second and running his tongue over his lips. She just looked back up at him, amusement sparkling through her deep green eyes, arching an eyebrow almost questioningly as she ran her fingernails down his spine, then up to his shoulders. Every place she touched began to tingle, and he found himself leaning into the touch more and more, no longer fighting his need for contact. He was definitely touch starved, and if there was any way to fix it, it was this.

He sighed, soft and shuddering, and leaned in for another kiss. Her grip on his shoulders tightened at once, pushing herself up against him and pressing her forehead to his. Yes, it was dark, but it didn't matter, because she was the only thing in the room he wanted to see right then, and he was doing just fine with that. Bela abruptly heaved herself up and shifted a little, pushing him off with a hand flat against his chest - Adam frowned a little, but he didn't protest as he was pushed down, flat on his back, and she rolled over, propping herself up over him.

The demon arched an eyebrow at her, but he didn't get a word in before her lips were pressed against his again, and at that point, he had already decided she could do whatever she wanted right then and there, as long as she stopped pulling away.

Unfortunately for him, she did do so - but, luckily, she waited a little bit longer before she broke the kiss, and her lips didn't leave for too long; She trailed them down the side of his jaw, to his neck, and Adam sucked in a sharp breath and closed his eyes for a moment, a small shudder running through him as he felt her lips continue to trail, all the way down to his collarbone, before she lifted up again and brought them all the way back to his lips, hovering over him.

Adam breathed out softly and stared up at her, unable to keep the grin off his face now. In response, Bela's mouth twitched, lips curling upwards, drawing his attention right back to them. He brought a hand up, the other pressed against her back, lightly tracing his thumb across her bottom lip and curling it back over her teeth, parting her lips slightly and tilting his head. He inhaled again, feeling one of her hands trailing down his chest, and brought his hand to the side of her face, leaning up to kiss her again. Bela gave a low, approving hum, her hand drifting to his sides, fingers digging loosely against his ribs as she kissed him back. In response, he dug his fingers into her back, his thumb tracing over yet another scar as his eyes slid shut.

"You know what?" Bela mumbled around the kiss, her voice muffled. Adam let out a low hum of acknowledgement, and, albeit reluctant, he broke apart from her to listen to whatever she was about to say - but he kept himself busy by trailing his lips down to her neck instead, slow and steady, and definitely enjoying the pleased shiver that ran through her as he did so, tracing the goosebumps as they rose up on her back. The other demon just huffed out a soft chuckle, not moving as Adam continued what he was doing. "Mm… I still hate you…"

"I hate you too," Adam breathed against her skin, baring his teeth slightly in a grin and pulling back to bring his eyes back to her face. After a moment, he pushed himself to sit up a little bit, and her arms rose to wrap around his neck in response. He wrapped his own around her waist, keeping her pressed against him as he tilted his head to look down at her, his smile widening ever so slightly. He blew out a long, soft gust of air, blowing her hair out of her face. She giggled a bit, startled, and he couldn't help the way his chest tightened at the sound.

"Oh, fuck you," she mumbled as he started chuckling, but she had a grin on her face now, shifting a little to bring the covers up over them. She wrapped them around their shoulders, while he just blinked slowly at her, once more busying himself with counting the colors that were flickering through her eyes. Once he was satisfied, though, he shrugged and grinned crookedly.

"You already did." The demon paused, brushing his lips over hers, grin widening. "Unless you're asking for a round two - which, of course, I have nothing against…"

Bela pushed her hands against his chest in response, but she was grinning as she threw herself forward, capturing him in another blinding, heart-stopping, breathtaking kiss. She shoved him down into the bed, and he reached one hand out to bring the covers up with them, pulling them over their heads and letting them disappear into the darkness.

* * *

Adam buried the side of his face into the pillow beneath him, once again tracing one of the scars on Bela's arm. The other demon was curled up beside him, eyes closed, a smile lingering on her lips. He had to admit - and he hated to admit - she looked all too innocent this way, all too sweet, and it was just a little harder to hate her. And yet, at the same time, it was easier than it should have been. The demon sighed, looking back down at the scars, eyebrows furrowing together faintly as he finally turned his complete focus to them. There were so many, too many. Standing white against the skin, the tissue long dead by now. Most of them were long, running from the top of her shoulder to the base of her wrist. Upon further inspection, they looked like animal wounds - he knew because his mother had sometimes allowed him to assist with patients every so often, something of a learning experience for him in pre-med school. Unfortunately, animal attacks weren't all too uncommon, and he recognized the signs.

It didn't take long to piece it together; Hellhounds.

"What are you thinking?" Bela murmured, and Adam flicked his eyes back to her face at once, blinking, eyebrows furrowing. He dropped his hand from her arm, resting it curled against the bed in the small space between them. Her head tilted, green eyes inquiring, questioning. Once again, he was a puzzle she was struggling to figure out, but there was something different to it now, some kind of need, like she was more desperate to figure it out now. Adam ran his tongue over his lips and lifted his head slightly, shifting his arm under him, propping himself up ever so slowly on his elbow and looking down at her. She shifted a little, not moving her gaze from his.

"I'm thinking…" The demon looked back down at the scars, and this time, her gaze followed. She shifted her arm over at once, not in an attempt to hide the scars, but an attempt to see them a little better, eyes narrowing faintly. "I guess that happened on the highway to Hell," he noted quietly, his eyes scanning the length of the longest scar.

"Mm." Bela shrugged, looking back up at him and offering a small, cocky little smile, her eyes once more searching for his in the darkness. "Some of the scars didn't heal. It's not a big deal. I hear scars supposedly make a man sexy - why can't it be the same for a woman?" She arched an eyebrow at him, her smile widening just a little bit, and Adam couldn't resist ducking his head down to press another kiss to her lips, his own grin appearing as a low chuckle escaped his lips.

Man, he really was beginning to not hate her. Shame she was probably an evil bitch who was out to get him and/or his brothers. Sighing, the demon broke the kiss and let himself fall back into the bed beside her once again, sinking his head down into the pillow.

"You know." Bela stretched out a little bit, snuggling deeper into the blankets, and Adam hummed quietly in acknowledgement, shutting his eyes. "You never did tell me your name."

Adam looked over at her for a moment, quiet and considering. Sure, he had let his guard down, most definitely so, but that didn't mean he wasn't still cautious. He still wanted to stick to the need-to-know policy, as much as he could - but then again, if he was going to find out more about her, he was going to have to make some sacrifices. Let her in just enough to show her she could let him in. It wasn't going to be easy, but it was necessary. And after this, Adam was definitely sure of one thing - he had to get through to her one way or another.

"Adam," he murmured after a few moments, shifting onto his side to face her. He held his head up with one hand, elbow propped up on the bed, digging into the pillow. In response, a small smile appeared on Bela's face, a little softer than he would have expected - before she paused, ripping her gaze away for just a second, the expression masked as quick as it had come. She looked like she was kicking herself for it, too, the brief moment of vulnerability, but Adam ached to see it again, some kind of sign that maybe she wasn't the villain he was worried she might be. It was always good to be cautious, but if there was a way - any way he could maybe _really _begin to trust her… Adam would be lying if he said he wouldn't like the chance to get to know her. To genuinely get to know her - no hidden agenda, no caution, no distrust.

God, yeah, he really hated himself for that. Groaning a little, the demon rolled back onto his back and crossed both of his arms over his face - and he was glad she couldn't see the smile that appeared on her face when she huffed out a laugh at him, heaving herself up and scooting a little closer to him, closing the distance and stretching her arms across the demon's chest. Adam raised an eyebrow and lifted his arms from his face, looking over at the woman silently.

"I think I prefer Insufferable Fool," Bela murmured, and Adam rolled his eyes slightly.

"Mm, and I prefer Crazy Bitch- wait, no, sorry, Queen Bitch," the demon corrected himself with a sweet little smile, and it was the other demon's turn to roll her eyes, lightly dragging a finger across Adam's chest. In response, Adam heaved out a soft sigh and closed his eyes, biting down on his lower lip to keep the smile off of his face. She seemed to recognize how touch starved he was, how much he longed for and yet hated the contact at the same time. Hell, she'd recognized it from the very first time she'd touched him, and she seemed dead set on doing whatever she could to raise the goosebumps on his skin beyond a normal level. And the worst part of it all was that Adam was more than happy to allow her to do so.

Bela sighed and let her head fall sideways onto Adam's chest, silent for a while. Then, after a few moments of silence, as the demon lightly drew his hand up and down over Bela's back, fingers curling into her hair, lightly twirling the strands over his fingers, the other demon reluctantly heaved herself up off of him, grunting a little in the process - and then suddenly Adam was left cold, nothing but the sheets and blanket to warm him, but it did absolutely nothing in comparison to literally having a non-human heater pressed against him. He sighed as she disappeared, frowning - then jumped, gasping, when she appeared beside the bed.

"I'm going to take a shower." Adam twisted his head to look at her, quirking an eyebrow and looking her up and down for a second - before she rolled her eyes and reached out, yanking one of the sheets out from under him and simply wrapping it around herself, much to his disappointment - but he wasn't going to voice that, he could tease her in a different way…

"Can I join you?" His mouth lifted into a light, teasing grin, and Bela quirked an eyebrow down at him. Then, with a smirk, she leaned down, one hand pressing into the bed beside him, lips hovering just inches above his own - but, when he leaned up to kiss her, she pulled back, winked, and turned away, striding over to the door to flip the lights on before heading toward another set of doors - he presumed leading to her closet. The demon flinched away from the light and pulled the blankets up over his head, heaving out an exasperated sigh.

"You can take your shower after me, love," she told him over her shoulder, rustling through her clothes. Adam only sighed again, closing his eyes and listening to the sound of the hangers clicking together as she searched for something to wear.

"Mm…" Adam reluctantly pushed the blanket down under his chin again. "Only if you have something for me to wear other than a tux."

Bela paused at that, turning to face him. "You're serious?" She demanded, searching his face, and he stared back at her silently, eyes narrowed, completely adamant - yeah, he wasn't squeezing himself into another tuxedo and he wasn't going to be uncomfortable for the rest of the day, really, fuck that. Bela wrinkled her nose and sighed, but she didn't even seem too irritated - truthfully, she seemed somewhat amused. "Mm, fine. Lucky for you, I washed that suit of yours I found you in, so I'll grab that for you." She arched an eyebrow. "Happy?"

"Ooh, very," Adam replied, lips curling back slightly in a smile once again - it came so naturally now, and a part of him kind of hated it, to be completely honest, but he was getting used to it. "Though, I'd be even happier if you let me join you-"

"Keep dreaming, slick," Bela laughed as she finally decided on an outfit, pulling it off the rack. With that, and with a grin and a wink in Adam's direction, the demon vanished again. Adam stared at where she had been for a good few moments, his own grin appearing, and he huffed out a soft laugh before finally heaving himself to sit up, rubbing his eyes and running his fingers through his hair. Yeah, and he'd thought he'd been exhausted before - turns out, demons had a lot of stamina. At least, demons who didn't get tired. Adam still had to wonder why that was… he wasn't particularly stressed at the moment, was he? He frowned, furrowing his eyebrows, then closed his eyes, struggling to focus. There was no more anxiety from Michael's side, in fact, the emotions he could feel from the archangel were… kind of calm, surprisingly so. It was definitely a good thing, but he couldn't help but wonder what was going on wherever he was.

Officially 'out of the mood', Adam pushed his legs over the side of the bed and pulled the blanket with him, hunching over forward and rubbing his hands down his face. Michael was probably asleep - he was usually at his calmest when he was sleeping, except when he was having a nightmare. The thought of the archangel having a nightmare made him feel anxious, though, because he wasn't there to wake him up from it now. The demon sighed, leaning back.

He sat there, silent and lost in thought, until Bela returned. She was wearing a suit of her own now, a dark blue color, buttoning up the top and adjusting her sleeves with a grin. Adam watched her in silence, a faint smile tugging at his lips for a second. He couldn't deny it, she was beautiful. Crazy, bitchy and possibly evil, but beautiful. He flicked his gaze back up to hers when she turned to face him, wiping the smile off of his face just before her own appeared, shaking her head free of some droplets of water and flashing him a cocky smile. "Done."

"Mhm." Adam glanced her up and down, not moving.

Bela rolled her eyes and turned away for a moment, back to her closet. Adam raised an eyebrow and continued to stare until she turned back, tossing a towel in his direction, along with a rag, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Your clothes are already in there."

"Awh, you're so sweet," Adam cooed, and Bela just snorted and rolled her eyes, a smile playing on her lips as she shook her head. The demon chuckled and finally heaved himself to his feet, letting the blanket fall from around him and pretending not to notice the way Bela stared until he had wrapped the towel around himself instead. He looked back at her, opening his mouth slightly, debating on asking if _she _wanted to _join _him - but, he refrained this time, because he had a feeling he was only a few comments away from getting a smack on the head. "So, we heading to Minnesota after this?" He questioned, grabbing the rag.

"Sweetheart, do you know what time it is?" Bela all-but burst into laughter, looking at him incredulously. "Well past midnight, I'll tell you that. I'm no night owl - you think this just comes naturally?" She gestured to herself, and Adam quirked an eyebrow. "Well- it does, but the point is, demon or not, a girl needs her beauty sleep, too. No, we're not leaving tonight. _I'm _going to bed." The other demon paused, glancing toward the bed. "After I replace the sheets."

"Oh, good," Adam muttered, and Bela shot him a curious look - to which he quickly added, "I mean, good, 'cause I'm… beat."

Bela raised her eyebrows and hummed a little bit in understanding, lips twitching slightly. She eyed him for a moment, then cracked a grin. "Well, good. Hope you don't mind the couch."

"Saw that coming a mile away…" Adam couldn't help a grin of his own despite himself, more or less somewhat smug that he knew her enough to know she'd be kicking him to the curb, so to speak. That was fine, though, he'd gotten a lot further than he'd thought - even if he had enjoyed it, most definitely, along the way - so he'd take the wins. The demon turned to leave the room, ready to step into the shower - hell, aching for it - but he paused when Bela suddenly stepped forward, grabbing him by the arm; Before he could react, he was pulled into a kiss.

It was short, sweeter than the demon would have expected, and he blinked down at her as the woman pulled away, offering nothing more than a wink. "Just a goodnight kiss." She reached up, brushing her hand over his cheek, and he leaned into the touch just a little, eyes closing. He held back a disappointed sigh when she had pulled away, and, with one last glance back at her, he continued on his way and left the room to take his shower.

The warm water against his skin was welcome, and he took his time just letting it rush over him before he really began cleaning himself. There was nothing quite like the sensations, the feeling of the droplets of water dripping down his hair, down his skin. It kind of took every worry away, every bit of anxiety, erased the seemingly constant feeling of blood sticking to his skin. To be honest, that was a feeling he was used to, so much so that it was hardly noticeable until he was in the shower - only when it went away, did he realize it had been there in the first place. And only when he was in the shower did he ever truly begin to feel clean. He tilted his head back, letting the water hit him right in the face, and relaxed with a soft, breathy sigh.

Finally, bringing himself to get dressed and leave the bathroom, he spared a glance down the hall toward Bela's room when he stepped out into the hall, eyebrows furrowing. A part of him wondered what it would be like to fall asleep beside her, and to wake up next to her in bed - but he shook those thoughts off just as quickly. He had to remember he couldn't trust her, not yet. Not until he figured out who she really was, and what she was really after. Running his tongue over his lips, the demon turned and headed down the hall, back to the living room. On the way, he fixed a few picture frames that had been knocked sideways, righted a vase that was tilted slightly on the edge of its stand, where they had bumped into things in their desperation to get back to the bedroom. And he smiled, slightly, recalling her arms around him, her lips on his.

Reaching the living room, he fell back onto the couch, letting his eyes slip shut before he'd even properly hit the cushions. It didn't take long for the darkness to take him in, to pull him under - he was already so exhausted, so ready to give in to sleep while he could, and so he let himself be buried in the silence, letting the peace consume him completely, relaxing into the couch.

Blinking his eyes open, he found himself in the place his dreams often took him.

For a moment, he almost grinned, looking around. The park reminded him of Michael now, almost all memories of his mother stifled underneath the ones he and the archangel had made. But the smile faded, turning confused. Something was off - not wrong, it didn't feel wrong, but it felt off. Those content feelings stirring deep inside were stronger now, pulsing even brighter, even bigger, and he could feel them as if they were his own again. But they weren't his. The demon ventured a few steps forward, slowly scanning the area, before turning around. His gaze darted down at once, to the ground, to the figure buried in the mulch, lying flat on his stomach with his head in his arms and a soft, peaceful smile written across his face, eyes shut. Relaxed.

Adam almost couldn't bring himself to believe it, there were several explanations for what he was seeing. This was a dream, after all - but the emotions pulsing in his chest, those were real. He knew it deep in his bones, he knew it with every inch of his heart, it was real. Breathing in slowly, the demon took a cautious step forward, almost afraid that he would disappear if he tried to approach too quickly. But he didn't, he laid still, peaceful and silent, almost asleep.

Swallowing and licking his lips, the demon brought up the courage to call out to him. "Halo?"

At once, the figure stirred and lifted his head, looking tired, uncomprehending at first. Their eyes met, the exhaustion not fading, and Adam went rigid. In response, Michael stiffened, the archangel's eyes going wide with complete shock, and then confusion, and disbelief, and then something hopeful flitted across his face. Heaving himself up, the archangel steadied himself and took a few stumbling steps forward; Adam moved forward along with him.

"Adam?" The archangel wandered forward a little more, uncertainty raging through his eyes, and Adam just inhaled sharply and stepped forward again, almost numb. Yeah, that was him. The demon didn't know how, but he knew his best friend, and this was Michael.

For a moment, they just stared at one another, wide-eyed, shocked and confused.

And then, ever so slowly, the relief broke through the other emotions. Such a blinding, dizzying relief, on both ends. Adam felt Michael's before he felt his own, but on both ends, it was just as strong. The demon exhaled, then took in a sharp breath again, a grin slowly appearing on his face. It wasn't long before Michael was smiling, as well, and in a few quick strides, the archangel was already closing the distance between them, just desperate to get close to him. After being separated for this long, Adam definitely knew how that felt.

He stepped forward to meet him, and, as soon as he could, he practically threw his arms around the archangel. Michael hugged him back just as tightly, burying his face into the demon's shoulder, and Adam couldn't help but huff out a few laughs as he did the same. "Oh, man…" He screwed his eyes shut, feeling the tears beginning to rise, but there were no negative emotions accompanying them - no, just pure relief, pure _joy_, genuine joy, for the first real time since his Transformation. The demon laughed a little bit, the sounds muffled by Michael's shirt.

The archangel shook a little, himself, and the breathless laughter that reached Adam's ears was probably the sweetest sound he'd ever heard. It didn't matter how, it didn't matter why, it didn't even matter _how long_ \- but they were together again and that was all they cared about.


	55. Chapter 55

Pulling back, Michael was grinning from ear to ear as he got a good look at the demon in front of him. He almost didn't want to believe it, almost didn't want to build up his hope just for it to shatter all over again - but this had to be real, because he could feel it all on Adam's end, the relief and happiness, he could see the emotions flickering through his eyes, the smile on his face, and it was everything he had been longing to see. He kept his hands on Adam's shoulders, not willing to release his grip just yet, fingers curling into the fabric of the suit the demon was wearing, looking him over carefully, as if searching for wounds, injuries - but there were none, and of course there weren't, they were in their heads - in their _dreams_, and right here, right now, Adam was perfectly fine. They were together, and Adam was fine, and Michael felt weak with relief.

"It's so good to see you," they mumbled together, as one, and they both only gave a second's pause before they were laughing. Adam's laughter surprised him for a moment, how easy it came, and how genuinely happy the demon seemed - it made him want to pull him back into the hug and not let go this time, but he knew he couldn't do that. Not right then, at least. The archangel shook his head slightly, almost in disbelief. And with that, came the realization that he had been absolutely terrified, this whole time, that he might not ever see Adam again. And now that he was, it was hitting him all at once, the fear and pain.

Adam just shook his head and chuckled a little, gripping the front of Michael's shirt and pushing him back a little, glancing him over just as Michael had been before. Of course - he was doing the same thing the archangel had done, and he stayed still and steady until Adam was satisfied that he was okay, the soft grin on his face widening even further, his eyes sparkling warmly. Then, with a soft sigh, Adam released his grip on Michael's shirt and shook his head again. "Michael, man, I…" He trailed off for a moment, letting his breath out in a huff. "I'm sorry."

Whoa, he had actually beat Michael to the apology. He wasn't expecting that.

But he understood what Adam was apologizing for - he understood why he was sorry. For pushing him away, pushing him out, right when he needed him the most. Michael knew it had been for his own sake, but it didn't make it hurt any less. It didn't hurt because he was being pushed away, though, it didn't hurt because Adam hadn't wanted him there anymore, but it had hurt because the demon had genuinely thought the only way to go through this was to go through this _alone_. He fell silent, thinking back to the fear, the anxiety, the panic and all those horrible emotions that had been swirling around inside of him the second they were separated. Desperately wondering if he was okay, if he was even alive, what Chuck was _doing _to him…

He wasn't angry - it was hard to be angry with Adam, to be completely honest, especially when he was just so glad that the demon was okay. But he was worried about what this meant for them. If Adam was so willing to put his own life second to Michael's… Not that the archangel wouldn't do the same, but he still didn't like the thought. "Don't be sorry," he mumbled after a moment, letting out a heavy sigh and searching the demon's gaze. "Just be safe."

"I am," Adam promised, holding his gaze, then paused, hesitated, and looked away.

Michael blinked at him, eyebrows furrowing slightly, and he shifted to take a few steps forward, leaning slightly to the side in order to bring Adam's gaze back to him. He succeeded; The movement made the demon's eyes flicker back to him immediately, and Michael continued to search his eyes, desperately wondering what he was thinking. "... are you?" He asked slowly, but not hesitantly. Adam, however, definitely looked hesitant. Then, taking a deep breath, the demon turned on his heel and headed off for the swings. Michael followed him immediately, not needing to be told to know that was what the demon had intended anyway.

"Honestly?" Adam fell back into one of the swings and began to push himself back. Michael took his seat carefully, wrapping his arms around the chains and never taking his eyes off of him. "I don't really know if I am or not - not one-hundred percent anyway. It's hard to tell." He glanced over at the archangel, and Michael just stared at him, not quite understanding. He was definitely concerned, though, by what Adam might mean by that.

"Where are you?"

"I don't know." Adam shrugged a little, looking somewhat confused. "This chick - a demon, she, uh… okay, so Chuck took me back to… I don't know, his house or something after we left Hell, he put me in a Devil's trap, and then left for a bit to go to some girl's- I don't know," he insisted at the increasingly bewildered expression that was spreading across Michael's face, while the archangel just raised his eyebrows slightly for Adam to continue. "But, anyway, this demon chick came by and I managed to convince her to let me out if I help her find Sam and Dean."

Michael stared at him for a long time, still confused, then looked away again. His eyebrows furrowed slightly, slowly piecing that together. That… definitely didn't sound good. A little too convenient for Michael's liking, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions just yet. He didn't understand why Chuck would have just left Adam at his house unattended. His Father was overconfident, sure, but he was far from stupid. Again, master manipulator here. It just didn't seem like something he would do, something he wouldn't _think _about. If he wanted Adam as bait, he would have made sure that bait stayed exactly where it was. But he hadn't, and the demon had gotten away - but Michael didn't think that was entirely an accident.

"Yeah." The archangel twitched and glanced over; Adam was watching him intently, a grim look written across his face, and Michael's eyebrows furrowed. "Too easy, isn't it?"

"Seems that way," Michael responded slowly, pursing his lips and looking away again. Adam sighed and looked down, continuing to push himself on the swing, and Michael furrowed his eyebrows together silently, mouth twisting. He thought back to everything his Father had said before - his new idea, his new plan. It had made him feel uneasy then and it was making him uneasy now, because, he feared, he might just be piecing it together. "We, um…" He spoke up after a few seconds, frowning. "Sam, Dean and I- we made it to his house. We were going to rescue you, but you weren't there. He was, though."

Adam looked over at him, not bothering to mask the concern flickering through his eyes. "You guys okay?" He asked quietly, and Michael didn't miss that - the, _you guys_ \- his concerns extending to Sam and Dean as well. It made him smile, just a little bit, as he offered the demon a nod in response. Adam relaxed, looking back down, dragging his feet across the ground and slowing the swing down slightly. For a while, neither of them spoke, just thinking, before Adam broke the silence once again. "What happened?"

"Well." Michael looked away again, recounting the recent events. He decided to start from the very beginning, after Adam had expelled him. "After you- after I-" The archangel couldn't finish that sentence, so he started again. "I made my way back to the bunker." He shook his head a little bit, frowning. "I was intending to find Sam, but I ran into Dean instead. I didn't have a vessel yet, so after I explained everything, he offered for me to possess him so we could rescue you."

"_Dean_?" Adam uttered, disbelief lacing his words, and Michael nodded, looking back over at him and furrowing his eyebrows slightly. He couldn't help but chuckle a little at the bewildered look on the demon's face, the surprise. "We're still talking about the same Dean, right?" He checked, and Michael nodded again, amused, while Adam sank back a bit and puffed his cheeks out, letting his breath out in a sharp, heavy huff and shaking his head. "Whoa."

"Yes, it was very surprising," Michael murmured, leaning his head sideways against one of the chains and looking away once again. "And kind of awkward at first, but we've got somewhat of an arrangement going. I don't want to make him uncomfortable, but he seems to be warming up to me a little…" He trailed off as Adam huffed out another sigh, and blinked, looking back over at the demon. There was an odd look on his face now, something Michael couldn't quite place at first, so he turned his attention to the emotions flickering through the demon's chest. There was a tiny bit of anxiety, and something a little colder - cold, and yet burning like fire. Jealousy…

Michael furrowed his eyebrows, studying him. "I intend to leave the moment I find you, Adam," he informed the demon carefully, and Adam glanced back over at him, silent. "It's temporary."

Adam studied him for a moment, a small smile tugging at his lips, but he looked away before Michael could catch a good glimpse. Satisfied he had gotten through to the demon, the archangel looked away and started pushing himself back slightly on the swing, sticking his tongue out of the corner of his mouth and narrowing his eyes. "Anyway, keep going," Adam murmured, looking back over at him. "What happened when you got there?"

"Well," Michael started up again, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. "Lucifer and Gabriel were there, as well, by the time we arrived. By that time, they had already beaten my Father down into a… more or less defenseless state."

Adam blinked, and tilted his head. "Must've been satisfying…"

"Oh, it was," Michael murmured, lips twitching, and Adam glanced over at him, a small grin forming on the demon's lips now. "But I found punching him myself even more satisfying."

"No way!" Adam gasped, and Michael couldn't bite back his grin in time, looking over at the demon and giving a small nod. Adam promptly started laughing - and by laughing, I mean full-on, throw-your-head-back laughing, looking and sounding like a little kid. Hell, he almost fell off of his swing, he was laughing so hard. "Oh, _dude_, what I wouldn't give to have seen that! _Damn_! You gotta show me when we're back together again, halo," he demanded.

Michael grinned and shook his head a little bit, but there was nothing but warmth and amusement flickering through his eyes. "You got it."

"Look at that - asshole's a badass now," Adam cackled, continuing to push himself back and forth on his swing now. The grin on his face wasn't going away this time, and Michael just watched him, his own grin widening even further. "_Shit_, man. _Wow._" There was almost a sense of childlike glee flickering through his eyes, and Michael could feel it just as strongly, the pure and utter joy the demon was feeling, like it was his own. Hell, it probably was. "Wow…"

"Yeah," Michael murmured, continuing to watch him for a moment. He did eventually look away though, the grin on his face settling into a softer kind of smile as he pushed himself back again, lifting his head with a low, content sigh as he swung forward, enjoying the feeling of the wind brushing his hair back. It fell right back into his face almost immediately, only to be swept back again when he kicked himself back again, gently swinging back and forth. "So… basically, we've just got him kinda locked up in his own house now. Everyone's trying to do so much…" He shook his head a little, looking down, eyebrows furrowing. "And I just want you back."

Adam was silent for a while after that, somewhat unresponsive. He continued pushing himself on the swing, rubbing his hands up and down the chains and staring down at the ground, his face twisted up in thought and his eyebrows pinched together. Michael looked over at him for a moment, his own eyebrows furrowing at the expression on his face. Something akin to guilt, uncertainty, but he wasn't speaking. And the archangel didn't like that one bit; He could feel the emotions radiating from the demon, but he couldn't hear what he was thinking anymore.

No, Michael didn't like it. He didn't like that hesitance, not a bit.

"What- what are- what are you thinking?" The archangel managed to mumble, wide eyes not moving from his best friend. Adam grimaced a little and tilted his head back with a soft, almost silent sigh, and Michael felt the anxiety hit him at full fucking force. "You- you do still _want _to come back, right? I- I mean, you…" He stared at the demon, desperate, confused.

"Of course I do," Adam insisted, his gaze snapping back to Michael immediately.

"Then what…" Michael swallowed hard, still trying to fight back the wave of panic that had engulfed him. He didn't understand; Adam had never kept things from him before, he'd never censored himself or hesitated to say something; He'd always just said what was on his mind, told Michael like it is. So for him to be so hesitant now, so reluctant to say whatever was wrong, no, that definitely sent off warning bells. Adam's eyes widened slightly, an odd emotion flickering across his face, and Michael felt his breathing hitch at the same time; Yep, he was nearing a panic attack. Because there was only one thing in this world he couldn't live without, and that was Adam. So even the slightest possibility of him not getting Adam back…

"Halo, _hey_," Adam leaned over, reaching out to grab Michael's shoulder. The archangel flinched a little, still struggling to fight against the rush of panic, wave over wave crashing over his head, threatening to bring him down completely. "Michael, listen to me - of course I want to come back. I _am _coming back, I promise," he pressed, and Michael swallowed, forcing himself to focus on the demon. "It's just- it's not safe right now."

"Safe?" Michael echoed, his voice cracking slightly. He bit his lip and swallowed, screwing his eyes shut, trying to calm down - his chest felt unbelievably tight.

"Just calm down," Adam soothed, his voice a lot softer than the archangel would have expected; And, despite himself, it helped to steady him just a little. "Deep breaths in and out, remember? Just calm down and breathe," he repeated himself, and Michael cleared his throat and swallowed again, taking in a deep, slightly shaky breath and letting it out in a low huff. "Come on, man, you know me better than that," the demon mumbled, honestly sounding just a little bit hurt. "You know there's no way in hell I could survive without you. And I wouldn't do that to you- I wouldn't do that to either of us." He rubbed Michael's shoulder, squeezing slightly, and Michael took in another soft, unsteady breath and nodded, fighting past the lump in his throat.

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't," Adam interrupted. "Just breathe."

The archangel shook his head a little, running his tongue over his lips and finally blinking his eyes open. He could see a little clearer now, the dizzying blur fading slightly, and his blue eyes flickered as he struggled to focus on Adam. The demon just stared at him, silent, steady, grounding - and Michael just gazed back until the pressure on his chest loosened.

"Why…" He managed to choke out after a few good seconds, and Adam just furrowed his eyebrows, silent, supportive. "You said it wasn't safe." Michael inhaled deeply. Not safe… Adam wasn't scared of Chuck, was he? He had never displayed so before, but… But even then, that wouldn't be enough to turn Adam away. After everything that had just happened, he had made it pretty damn clear that he would put himself in Chuck's path a million times over if it meant Michael was safe - so whatever was going on, it couldn't be that.

"It's not," Adam murmured, slowly pulling his hand off of Michael's shoulder, hesitant, as if he was afraid Michael could unravel the second he wasn't making contact anymore. The archangel held himself steady, though, consoling himself with the reassurance that he was about to get an explanation - or, at least, he hoped so. "That demon chick I told you about?" The demon studied him, searching his eyes carefully, and Michael managed a shaky nod. "Like I said, she's looking for Sam and Dean - well, supposedly, she's looking for a ring that Crowley might know the location of and, by extension, the Winchesters- it's really complicated." The demon shook his head a little, looking frustrated. "God, I hate that word. So much. Right now."

Michael stared at him, still not understand. "But…" The archangel shook his head a little bit, somewhat desperately. "I don't understand- why would that…?"

"This chick apparently has beef with the Winchesters." Adam told him matter-of-factly, blowing his hair out of his face and looking back over at Michael. "Knew 'em, once upon a time. And, according to her, she got dragged down to Hell by Hellhounds and they wouldn't help her, or some shit - I don't know, but I do know whatever happened, she's blaming the wrong guys." Michael blinked, at that, eyebrows furrowing faintly in consideration, as Adam shrugged. "Chuck told me something, back in Hell. He said he was the reason Sam and Dean pretty much forgot about my existence. Basically? I was written out of the story, because I didn't fit. And I'm wondering if that's just what happened to her, and- if so, I…" He faltered a little, looking away. "I don't think she's bad, man, but I think she's angry, and hurt, and I know what that feels like, and what it carries. If she gets to Sam and Dean, there's no telling what she'd do to them."

"Oh…" Michael trailed off, licking his lips, eyes widening as the realization set in. Of course, he wasn't protecting himself, he wasn't scared for himself - Michael had known that all along. What he wasn't expecting, not really, was for the ones he was protecting to be the Winchesters. But the concern, the caution he was feeling - that was, undoubtedly, real. Genuine. He wanted to keep his brothers safe, and he was sacrificing so much by doing so. The archangel relaxed, if only slightly, staring at the demon - then, hesitantly, he reached out to place his hand over one of Adam's, one the demon had curled around the chains on the swing; Adam jolted a little in surprise, but he relaxed into the touch almost immediately, looking up and over at him.

"It'll be okay," the archangel murmured, exhaling as the rest of the anxiety seemed to drain from him. If Adam said he couldn't come back yet, then the archangel would believe him, and he'd support him, even as desperate as he was to have him back with him again. He trusted the demon's judgement. If it wasn't safe, it wasn't safe. But Michael still wanted to be there for him, in any way that he could be, at least. "We'll figure it out. Together."

"Unlimited…" Adam muttered under his breath, a soft chuckle breaking through his lips. "Together, we're unlimited… together, we'll be the greatest team there's ever been…"

Michael couldn't help a small laugh, searching his memory for the song. Yes, it was one he remembered - one he would sing to himself day and night, pacing the Cage, while Adam watched and listened. It was a song he had picked directly from the demon's memory - well, he had been a human at the time, and one that, on occasion, Adam would begin humming all on his own as they sat alone in the darkness, or as they watched the flames rising high. He didn't know what the song was from, but he knew they both liked it. "Dreams, the way we planned 'em," he murmured back quietly, eyebrows furrowing, wondering if he was getting it right.

"If we work in tandem…" Adam hummed softly, a grin forming on his lips. In response, Michael couldn't help his own smile, along with a soft chuckle, shaking his head at the demon.

"There's no fight we cannot win," their voices rose up together, as one, in complete harmony; They had never sang together, not like this, but they found their voices seemed to fit together better than either one of them had expected. Adam didn't sing often anymore, not since the Transformation, and Michael had stopped long ago, when the demon had pulled him out of his insanity, fighting tooth and nail to get the archangel back to a somewhat stable state of mentality. They had sang, back then, in a desperate attempt to pierce through the darkness. Now, as they sang, there was something much lighter, much more carefree. It was different, very much so, from the way he had sang with his brothers in Lilith's Chamber; because this was with Adam, and with Adam, he just felt completely… free.

"Just you and I, defying gravity!" Adam let his head fall back, laughing again as he sang, pushing himself back on the swing and rocketing forward with a grin on his face. And Michael found himself doing the same, going a little higher just for the hell of it, and enjoying the rush that swelled up in his chest when he came back down.

"With you and I, defying gravity," he sang back with a few laughs of his own, feeling like the weight had been lifted from his shoulders, the grief and anxiety and confusion was gone; Because he was with Adam again and, during this time, all was right with the world.

"They'll never bring us down…" Adam breathed, and Michael looked over at him. The grin on the demon's face had faded a little bit, to something much softer, somewhat wistful. The archangel simply watched him, until that smile softened, a gentler look replacing the slight sorrow written across his face. He reached out, pulling his hand out from under Michael's and instead reaching over to hook his arm over the archangel's, fingers curling around his wrist.

"What can I do?" Michael asked quietly after a moment, and Adam looked over at him again, the smile fading slightly into a much more serious look.

"Don't wake up," Adam sighed, but the smile returned, a little more bittersweet now, and the archangel knew he was only joking. "No, I don't know. I just- I need to figure out what her intentions are before I lead her back to you guys." He fell silent for a moment, contemplating.

Michael leaned his head against the chain, thinking, eyes drifting shut for a good few seconds. He wished there was more he could do… "Maybe if you tell me where you are…" He started, and Adam looked over at him again, blinking, eyebrows furrowing. "I can leave the Winchesters and come help you." The archangel glanced up, searching the demon's gaze for a moment, watching as Adam seemed to consider that. Then, pursing his lips, Adam shook his head.

"Don't waste your powers. Just stay where you are," he cautioned. "Besides, they'll probably need you to help with the Cage, right? They can't afford to lose anyone else. And you know the Cage better than anyone." The archangel sighed a little, looking away. Adam definitely had a point, but that didn't mean he liked it. And, judging by how reluctant the demon seemed to even reject the offer, he didn't like it any more than he did - but it was necessary, and they both knew that. Sacrifices had to be made if they were going to figure this out, if they were going to go up against Chuck, and this was just one they were both going to have to deal with for now. "Besides, I don't even know where I am…" Adam huffed out a sigh through his nose. "I know where I'm going, though - taking her to Minnesota, trying to lead her away from you guys."

Michael nodded a little, storing that information away for later just in case. "You said she had history with Sam and Dean," he spoke up, curious. "What's her name? Maybe they'd know some things she may not be telling you," he suggested, and Adam tilted his head.

"Good point. Her name's Bela - I didn't get a last name." The demon heaved out a soft sigh and shook his head, an odd look crossing his face. "And, man, let me tell you something - the bitch is crazy as _fuck_. Like, I'm talking PMS-all-the-time. But it's the kind where she's not raging, not really, she's just calm all the time - but you know at any given second you could say the wrong thing and get your head bitten off." A small smile was forming on Adam's face, and Michael watched with growing curiosity; The demon didn't even seem to notice. "She's fierce as hell - it's pretty damn terrifying. And she hates my guts. Seriously…" He sighed softly. "Crazy bitch…"

After a long, long moment of staring, Michael sucked in a sharp breath. "You _like _her," he breathed out, almost disbelieving, and he watched Adam go rigid in response. The demon opened his mouth as if to respond, but the archangel didn't respond; With a slow grin forming on his lips now, he continued pressing on, "you _really _like her."

Adam glanced over at him, but said nothing, and that spoke volumes.

"Oh, you really are in trouble." Michael raised his eyebrows, genuinely in awe, but also genuinely enjoying watching Adam's cheeks turn a light, barely-noticeable shade of pink. "Anyone who does _this _to you has to have some kind of black magic or something. Definitely evil, twisted, hypnotic powers or something- because the Adam I know doesn't _blush_ like that - and look at you, you are redder than Lucifer's eyes!"

"You know what, asshole." Adam cleared his throat. "You can go to Hell."

Michael couldn't choke back the laugh in time, and in response, Adam's mouth tugged into a grin, shaking his head and looking away from the archangel. "I'm just messing with you," Michael assured him, pushing himself back on the swing a little and letting his teasing grin fade into a softer, more genuine smile as he looked up at the sky. "Honestly, I think it's kind of nice. Just… be careful. If you don't trust her, it might not be a good idea to get too close to her," he warned, and Adam just rolled his eyes and nodded, as if he already knew that.

"Yeah, I know. I'm being careful, trust me. That's kinda why I'm leading her _away_," the demon pointed out, pulling his hand away from Michael's arm, and the archangel offered an innocent shrug in response as Adam went on, "I mean, I've slept with her, and she still doesn't know I'm Sam and Dean's brother, or that you exist, or that I've been lying to her this entire time about where you guys are, so…" The demon gave a one-shouldered shrug. "Yeah. Being careful."

"Good." Michael fell silent for a moment, thinking that over - and then blinked, eyes widening, disbelief flitting across his face as his head snapped back around to face Adam, staring at him. "Wait a second, you what?"

"... Slept with her," Adam repeated himself, a little sheepishly this time, while Michael could only gawk at him, not really knowing what to say. "I- I mean- she was coming onto me and- man, she's hot, like, if you could see her, you'd totally understand. And then I figured, hey, I might as well, 'cause I'm trying to get just close enough to her to figure out whether or not she's really a threat or if maybe Chuck sent her and she's being manipulated- I'm kinda trying to help her but I can't really do any of that without figuring out- okay, wow, I'm shutting up now." He snapped his mouth shut, looking completely embarrassed, and Michael only stared.

Wow. This demon had Adam Milligan rambling and stumbling over his words like this, a kind of vulnerability he would only truly display around Michael - but even then, he knew it was most certainly a rare one. Opening and closing his mouth, the archangel took in several deep breaths and let them out very slowly through his teeth before he finally managed to bring himself to speak again, clearing his throat. "... well, like I said, that's… kind of nice," he murmured, eyebrows furrowing faintly. "Do you really think my Father might be manipulating her?"

"I don't know. I mean, like I said, my escape was a little too easy," Adam reminded him, frowning slightly. "But if he is manipulating her, then she likely doesn't know the full story. So if I can just figure out what's really going on, I'm thinking I might be able to help her. That's why I don't wanna ditch her just yet. If there's a chance, I…" He trailed off, looking down at his hands, seemingly unable to continue. But Michael understood. He really did.

"... Like I said, we'll figure it out," the archangel promised, watching him carefully. Adam just nodded, sitting back slightly and starting to push himself back on the swing again, relaxing once more as Michael went on. "I'll ask Sam and Dean what they know. Hell, maybe I can squeeze some information out of my Father, too," he added thoughtfully, eyes narrowing.

"That'd be great," Adam sighed, shaking his head a little bit. "Because not trusting her is starting to get really, really hard. She just doesn't seem that bad, but I know…" The demon rolled his eyes, seeming frustrated with himself. "Rule number one, never trust anybody." He considered that for a moment, then offered a slight shrug in Michael's direction. "'Cept you. Always trust you." At this, Michael couldn't help a small smile, shaking his head a little and tilting his head back once again to look up at the sky, flicking his gaze over the clouds above.

"Now the problem is, once I have the information…" Michael trailed off, narrowing his eyes slightly. His thoughts turned back into the direction of their connection; If they could connect and talk through their dreams, and emotions, maybe they could connect in other ways. Maybe find a way to strengthen it enough to hear each other's thoughts - hell, for all Michael knew, that had been the case when he'd heard Adam say _I'm coming, halo _rather than it being a prayer.

"We're connected, right?" Adam mumbled, eyebrows furrowing slightly, and Michael nodded a little, almost smiling to himself - even separated, they were on the same wavelength, almost all the time. "Maybe there's something we can do with that, y'know, like… X-men." Michael stared at him in confusion, so he clarified further. "Mind reading."

"That's what I was thinking."

"See? Already working." Michael couldn't help but huff out a laugh at Adam's words, as the demon only shook his head, grinning. "No, but seriously… we're connected. I mean, if this is possible-" He gestured, and Michael nodded a little, looking around. "Then there's gotta be some way we can still communicate, y'know? Even if we do have to just meet up through this weird dream merge thing…" He shrugged, and Michael only nodded again; They both fell silent, lost in their own thoughts, looking around the park silently. The archangel just exhaled softly through his teeth and looked away, taking in everything as if it were the last time.

"Well, we've got some time to pass," he commented after a moment of silence, and Adam paused, looking over at him. "Why don't you tell me a little more about… Bela? What you know, at least," he added, paused, and spared the demon a glance. "Just leave out the, um… you know," he muttered.

Adam snorted out a laugh at that, rolling his eyes toward the sky. "You're such a prude," he sighed dramatically, and Michael lightly reached over to tap the demon's feet with his own - and Adam returned the kick, just a little harder, but it didn't hurt, and the grin on his face made it clear he was only fooling around. Michael smiled slightly, settling back into the swing once again as the demon started speaking. "Alright, alright… so, back to the crazy bitch…"

Well, they both knew one thing; They were both dreading waking up again.


	56. Chapter 56

Being back in the Empty was… nothing short of unnerving. Being surrounded by the darkness, the darkness that could so _easily _swallow him whole the second it wanted to, in many ways, it kind of hurt. Brought back many memories that he would rather have repressed; Not even memories of his own death, memories of wandering the dark, hopeless and confused and… more afraid than the angel wanted to admit. No, they brought back memories of Heaven, face to face once again with the thing that had brought him back to life, the thing that wanted to take his son, the thing that was supposed to take him the moment it decided he was… happy.

For the longest time, Castiel had honestly wished he could be. The nights he sat awake, the days he searched for someone who had never really existed, the time he spent fighting for people he wasn't sure even wanted him around anymore, he had ached for something akin to the happiness he had once felt in the presence of those he loved, the presence of the Winchesters, and Jack… and, oh, did he ache… but not for the right reasons, by any means.

The angel let his blue eyes dart around, quiet and stoic as always. He never thought he'd be here, following Lucifer and Billie through the darkness while the Devil grumbled something about everyone else 'moving locations'. His older brother, the one he so despised - or, at least, the one he was supposed to. The one he used to. He didn't really feel that way anymore - of course, he was angry. He was so, so angry, almost all the time. Angry, and hurt, and _tired… _but he knew exactly who he was angry with, and it just wasn't Lucifer. He could be mad at him, it would be too easy - but no, he just wasn't. Because none of it was Lucifer's fault. Nothing bad that happened was anyone's fault but Chuck's. So maybe he had been angry at his brother before, but he felt nothing toward him now. It was just kind of blank, kind of numb, kind of empty.

He had been angry when it was Belphegor, but now… well, how could he be? Belphegor wasn't even real. It had been Lucifer, all along. He'd had Jack's permission, all along…

"You're quiet." Lucifer's voice startled him for a moment, but he found himself relaxing quick enough, honestly just glad that it wasn't Jack's voice coming from the Devil. As much as he was aching to hear Jack speaking to him, it just hurt listening to Lucifer, back in Chuck's house, because every time his mouth opened, every time that voice fell from his lips, he ached for it to be the Nephilim and it just… wasn't. And he hated that reminder, every second.

"There's nothing to say," Castiel responded quietly, slowly flicking his eyes back over to his brother, reluctantly removing his gaze from the darkness. Lucifer was… almost unnaturally calm, wandering through the darkness, not even the slightest bit uncomfortable. He had to wonder how long he _had _been wandering - but he wasn't going to ask. His brother merely snorted at his words, not saying a word, just giving a small, understanding nod and continuing on his way, squinting slightly through the darkness and seeming to light up at whatever was ahead. In response, Castiel felt every muscle in his body go completely tense.

He wasn't sure he was prepared for what he was going to see.

The first thing he noticed was the Cage - it was hard for him not to look to it instinctively. It stood tall in the darkness, the area around it lit with carefully controlled flames, most likely for some better sense of light than they were all getting. Around the Cage crowded a few figures; Amara, he recognized, sank back against the bars, arms folded across her chest. There was a man he didn't recognize at first glance - but at second glance, it was all too easy to see that this was Jesse Turner, the Cambion boy, the Antichrist. He was shuffling a deck of cards, casual as ever. But Castiel went rigid when he saw the figure inside the Cage, the Shadow - a figure made entirely out of black goo, seemingly scanning the inside; Billie left Lucifer and Castiel to join him at once, twirling her scythe around and around.

Jesse glanced up, a grin lighting his face when he saw Lucifer - then his eyes darted to Castiel, expression fading to one of confusion, and then recognition, and then his face was blank. The angel only stared before continuing to look around, anxious and somewhat desperate now, to see the one Lucifer had promised to bring him to. He stopped walking, falling still, rigid, tense, not willing to take a step closer to the dark figure in the Cage, one that was now watching him.

"Where's Jack?" Lucifer sounded bewildered as he approached them, either not noticing nor caring that Castiel had long stopped following. It was Amara's turn to look up now, exhaustion flickering through her eyes, and she jerked her head around, toward the corner of the Cage.

"Stressing," Jesse informed them, turning his head in the direction Amara had gestured. "Yo, J!"

Castiel stayed still, and he didn't dare open his mouth, didn't say a word. He inhaled sharply, though, breath hitching, when a familiar figure finally rounded the corner of the Cage, dragging chains along with him. A familiar brown-haired, blue-eyed figure, wearing a deep, unsettled frown, eyebrows creased together and eyes narrowed down at the chains in his hands, as if they had offended him in some way. And Castiel could only stare, feeling weaker than he would have expected. You'd think seeing Jack for the first time - the _real Jack _\- since Chuck had killed him, wouldn't make him feel on the verge of passing out, but no, he felt far too lightheaded now.

"Sorry, Jesse… I just can't figure out…" Jack looked up, gaze flicking from the chains, to Jesse, and then to Lucifer - and then those wide blue eyes trailed all the way up to Castiel, and they seemed to widen slightly in complete shock, the chains slipping from his fingertips and rattling together, clinking against one another as they crumpled into a heap. Castiel ventured a few cautious steps forward, but he couldn't seem to move himself any further than that. "... Cas?"

"Jack." Castiel felt like the word was stuck in his throat, somehow having more difficulty saying the Nephilim's name to his face than he had when Jack was alive. The angel faltered a little, running his tongue over his lips, opening his mouth slightly to speak - but he couldn't think of anything to say. All this time wishing Jack was alive, aching to have him back, and now that they were face to face again, he couldn't even begin to form the words he'd wanted to speak to him.

Jesse shot Lucifer a questioning look; The Devil moved over to join him, looking amused.

Jack spared a glance after his father, but he turned back to Castiel quick enough, stepping around the chains and approaching the angel somewhat cautiously, each step careful and deliberate. Castiel stared, but didn't move, watching him in silence as the Nephilim walked over to him, tucking his hands in his pockets and managing a small, if not somewhat hesitant smile. "It's… it's good to see you. I didn't expect…" He trailed off, looking back toward Lucifer again, before turning his gaze back to Castiel, looking confused. "When did you two…?"

The angel paused, opening his mouth slightly as he spared a glance after his older brother, shifting slightly on his feet, before he looked back down at Jack. "It's a… long story," he muttered, somewhat hesitantly, looking the Nephilim over. That was real emotion flickering in his eyes, he could tell, and it was too relieving. Jack was feeling again. Lucifer had mentioned something about Billie restoring his soul, and that he was okay now. He relaxed slightly, somewhat unaware that he had even been tense in the first place. "I'll explain everything in a moment- I just…" The angel heaved out a sigh. "Jack, I am so… I am _so…_"

Jack only smiled, just as soft and warm as Castiel had remembered. "It's okay, Cas." He pulled one hand out of his pocket and seemed to hesitate, just for a moment, before he moved forward and reached out to pull the angel into a hug; he accepted the embrace happily, somewhat desperately, wrapping his arms around the Nephilim and pulling him as close as he possibly could. Jack dug his fingers into the back of his trenchcoat, holding on just as tightly, pressing his face into the angel's shoulder and letting out a soft sigh.

Just as Castiel was about to close his own eyes, his gaze darted toward Lucifer and Jesse, just for a second. His brother was just watching them now, and while he expected to see something akin to jealousy written across his face, there wasn't as much as he would have thought. Of course there was still some, flickering through his eyes, but there was a tiny, barely-noticeable smile on his face as well, and that somewhat overpowered whatever negativity was there, because that smile was more genuine than anything else Lucifer could have displayed.

He furrowed his eyebrows, but said nothing, simply pulled away from Jack and offered the Nephilim a soft look blue eyes flickering over the face of the boy who he had considered his son for so long - and who he still did. The Nephilim he had been aching for, grieving over - he was there, right in front of him. And Castiel knew, to some extent, he should be happier than he was… but he didn't know why he wasn't. It still hurt - god, did it hurt, and he began to wonder if that kind of pain could ever truly be erased, even if Jack was here now.

Still, just like all the times before, he stifled it. He was kind of good at that by now - or, at least, he hoped he was. Truth be told, Castiel had never been a good liar. He panicked, most of the time, and other times he was just _blank. _Either way, the truth always came out in the end - but there was one person he had always been good at deceiving, one person he could lie to day and night, and one he _did - _and that person, ladies and gentlemen, was himself.

There was no lie Castiel couldn't make himself believe. No words he couldn't repeat to himself over and over again until it was true. And he could thank Chuck for that, thank the angels that had once stood high and mighty up above; Because to be one of them, to be in their favor, in Heaven's favor, in the Lord's favor, and to be an angel of God, one must be practiced in the ways of self-deception. After all, a true manipulator is one who can force the manipulated to manipulate themselves, and every angel in existence had fallen victim to their own self-deceit.

"Uh…" Castiel trailed off for a moment, closing his eyes and clearing his throat; It took a while to bring his mind back to the present, to focus on what was happening now. "Sam and Dean… they wanted me to tell you hi for them." He paused, blinking his eyes open, and looked back down at the Nephilim. Jack's expression had changed considerably, softening to one of sorrow, of guilt, and in response, Castiel softened just a little bit more. "They miss you, Jack."

"After what I did…" Jack trailed off and looked away, a tortured look flitting across his face; It hurt Castiel, on a physical level, to see the Nephilim so guilt-ridden, so buried under the weight of the mistakes he had made. And he hated how he could see it crushing him, chipping away at the sweet, innocent boy the angel had known so long ago… yet, part of Castiel knew he had lost that boy a long time ago. Jack swallowed, and sighed, looking back toward the others. "Well, I miss them, too." He looked back up at Castiel, his eyes soft. "And I miss you."

Castiel wanted to tell him how much he had missed him, tell him how much losing him had hurt, tell him how lost and broken and confused he had been. But there were no words to describe it, nothing he could possibly say to even begin trying to… His throat closed up the moment he even considered opening his mouth. There were no words. Not for this.

Jack stared at him for a while, eyebrows furrowing slightly. After a few moments, though, he just offered a small smile and ended up turning away, though he gestured for Castiel to follow as he wandered back over to Jesse and Lucifer. The angel hesitated, sparing a glance toward the figures in the Cage, but he took in a breath, sucked it up, and followed after the Nephilim. "Lucifer," Jack called out, and the Devil turned at once, eyebrows raising. "You haven't located Adam and Michael yet, have you?"

"We found Michael," Lucifer informed him, crossing one leg over the other. "He was with the Winchesters and this one." He nodded toward Castiel, who simply nodded in confirmation. "Adam, we're working on. Chuck had him, but evidently it seemed he either escaped or Chuck cut him loose. We can't track him."

Jesse paused, looking thoughtful. "I may be able to."

"We need you here, Jesse," Billie called to him from the Cage, and the Cambion groaned and dropped his head, chin to his chest, letting out a deep, heavy exasperated sigh. Jack wandered over and reached up, pressing a hand over the other boy's shoulder and giving a soft squeeze. Castiel furrowed his eyebrows slightly, watching them.

Lucifer blew out a sigh and rolled his eyes to the side, toward Castiel. The Devil tilted his head, glancing between him, and Jack and Jesse, before he turned and headed over to the angel. Castiel couldn't help but tense up as he neared, somewhat of a reflex at this point, but he didn't say anything as his brother approached, just spared him a brief glance before looking away again. "Not that it's any of my business, but, uh…" He lowered his voice. "You okay?"

Castiel glanced over at him, a little surprised by the display of concern. While he may not be angry with his brother, it was certainly a lot to process, the idea of the Devil not truly being the big bad villain they had always known him as - but one that was forced into the role by the man that was supposed to protect and love and care for his creations - all of them, humans and angels alike. Yes, it was hard to process. But it wasn't impossible. "Of course. I'm just…" He fell silent for a moment. "It's a lot. All of this… with Chuck… and now- it's just so much to take in, I suppose. And it's… just…"

"Overwhelming," Lucifer said knowingly, and Castiel nodded, mouth twisting slightly. "Yeah, I know it is. It's like having your entire life crash down over you, your entire existence destroyed." An odd look flitted across the Devil's face; Castiel looked over at him, eyebrows furrowing. "... sometimes I find myself wondering if the fact that I was right is a good thing." Lucifer glanced down, eyes narrowing slightly. "I'm not innocent. I'm not… free of the things I did. If anything, it just seems like more of a burden to carry. I don't even _want _to…" He stopped, shaking his head.

Castiel furrowed his eyebrows, waiting for him to go on; When he didn't, the angel pressed, just a little bit, quiet, soft, cautious. "Want to what?"

Lucifer glanced up, toward Jesse and Jack; Satisfied that they were occupied, he turned his attention back to Castiel, though he didn't look at him. "When I first… when Billie and Jack came to me, asking for help to fight against God, I thought- this was my chance. This is my chance at revenge, to prove that I was right all along. That God was the villain here, and I'm just a victim. And I even thought it might be a shot at justice, for what he did to me." The Devil's mouth twisted, staring ahead at nothing in particular. "But then I came to Earth, and I saw what he was doing for the… for the first time. I saw the Winchesters… I saw _you_… and I saw… no favorites. No… no special treatment. The humans I thought he loved so much, the angel I thought had once been his Chosen, discarded and thrown aside because he just didn't care. And then when Michael came- when Michael came…" His face seemed to crumble, but he resisted, not breaking yet, just on the verge. Castiel furrowed his eyebrows, listening. "This isn't about revenge anymore, or proving that I was right, or pretending that I was innocent… I want to be, but I'm not." Lucifer screwed his eyes shut, his voice wavering slightly. "I spent so long hating his creations. The humans. Even the angels. But now I just want it to go back to the way it used to be, because I think… I think I'm starting to hate the destruction more."

Castiel didn't know what to say. He couldn't remember a time in his life he had ever seen Lucifer so close to a breakdown - a _genuine _breakdown, but this was reaching the edge.

Then, with a shaky inhale and a cough, Lucifer had pulled himself together. It seemed to take quite a bit of effort, quite a bit of strain to compose himself, and even then he didn't seem able to pick up all the pieces. "Wow, I…" He cleared his throat, shaking his head vigorously. "Whew. Hit by the feels train, it seems like… didn't mean for that to happen, whoops." He huffed out a forced-sounding laugh, clapping Castiel on the back; the angel only stared, silent. He definitely couldn't ignore that, pretend like nothing had just happened, pretend like Lucifer wasn't breaking down - or at least on the edge of breaking down - over all of this. He was the last one Castiel would have expected to be acting like that; To be trying to hold it all in, stifle his own emotions, to try and remain strong and focused through all of this when he was clearly holding a terrible amount of… _grief_. And Castiel hadn't even had a clue. Nobody seemed to have a clue.

"I'm gonna join Billie and tar-man over here." Lucifer pulled away from him and rolled his shoulders back. Castiel didn't say anything, though he did open his mouth slightly, as if he were about to. But, he couldn't think of anything to say. This was never going to be easy, for any of them. And Castiel didn't even know where to start making any of it better - and he didn't know where to start getting Lucifer to open up to him like that again. He had caught a glimpse, a glimpse of something, someone under the surface, the bravado, the charade, the facade that Lucifer, himself was putting up for everyone. Hell, maybe even for himself.

Watching Lucifer walk away from him, Castiel understood.

Lucifer had once been an angel too. He had been the most beautiful of them. He had burned the brightest. He had been in Heaven's favor. God's favor. He had broken free of their deception, but like every angel… he was a victim of his own. He wasn't the villain - but he was his own villain. All angels, deep down, were their own villains.

He watched the Devil hesitate near the entrance to the Cage, then stiffen and duck in without another second's hesitation. He watched Jack turn his head, watching Lucifer's every move. Wondered, for a second, if he was seeing the same things. The same new person his brother had just displayed, ever so briefly. Maybe the person - the archangel - he would have been, had his potential not been so stifled, and twisted, and broken by their Father, himself.

Castiel faltered a little, looking down, and reached up to adjust the collar of his trenchcoat. And he did what Lucifer had done; He took a deep breath, rolled his shoulders back, went completely still, and relaxed. Forced the swirling storm of emotions to calm, to cease, to clear. They'd bubble back up later, and they'd be worse. But for the moment, as long as Castiel told himself he was fine, then he was fine. It was one of the perks of being an angel. And one of the many downfalls. But nobody was perfect. No creature, no being, no entity.

He made his way to Jack's side, and even managed a small smile as the Nephilim turned, blue eyes brightening at once toward the angel. And it was genuine - as genuine as it could be. He wasn't anywhere near close to recovering from the pain, but maybe it wasn't such a foreign concept. Or, at least, maybe it didn't have to be.

"So, you're sticking around for a little while?" Jack tilted his head at him and smiled, and Castiel paused, looking back up toward the Cage. Lucifer seemed to be in a heated discussion with… 'tar-man', as he had called him before, and Billie was simply circling the inside of the Cage, taking great care in studying the symbols etched into the bars. Yes, Castiel supposed he would be sticking around for a little while. At least, for as long as Lucifer was.

"I suppose so," the angel commented quietly, looking back down at Jack, and he felt something a little lighter than pain press against his chest as the Nephilim's expression lit up even further. It was definitely an odd feeling, one he had almost completely forgotten about in the swirl of despair and depression, but maybe, maybe he could begin to get used to it again.

And maybe he could start to want it again - for the right reasons, this time.


	57. Chapter 57

"So, why Minnesota?"

"First place that popped into my head." Adam, at the moment, was busying himself with climbing up the jungle gym. And somewhat hesitantly, at that. It was just a dream, right? So it wouldn't make much of a difference if he fell. Still, he was nauseous - every time he pulled himself up, went just a little bit higher, he felt like he was about to be sick. Below him, Michael paced the ground, just watching him carefully as he climbed, shooting him looks of encouragement every now and again when the demon seemed to hesitate. He was Adam fucking Milligan, he shouldn't be having this much trouble climbing a damn jungle gym, but the thought of falling… Adam shuddered, reaching up to grab yet another bar, and Michael paused his pacing.

"And… ghouls?" The archangel questioned with a tilt of his head, somewhat quizzical in his inquiries - but one glance downwards told Adam that he understood perfectly, a knowing look flickering through Michael's soft blue eyes as he held the demon's gaze. He sighed, but he said nothing else as Adam turned and reached up for another bar, hoisting himself up further.

"Again, first thing that popped into my head," the demon grunted, shifting his focus from climbing to return his attention back to Michael. The archangel continued his pacing, with one half-nervous glance upwards - but he seemed more nervous about Adam being nervous than he was about the demon falling. Swallowing hard, Adam fought back another rush of nausea and clenched his fists tighter over the bars. "S'all good, though. Luckily, I don't think there's actually any ghouls down there, but Bela doesn't need to know that," he muttered, with a dry chuckle.

"I'm still a little surprised you lied to her - willingly," Michael admitted, wrapping his arms around himself. Adam spared a brief glance downwards, a frown tugging at his lips, but he shifted his focus to the task at hand rather quickly. "I mean, are you… are you okay? With lying, I mean. I know how much you hate - I mean, after Zachariah, and…"

"Well, I don't know if I'm any good at it," Adam conceded, his frown deepening slightly. Yeah, Michael definitely knew him better than anyone else. Lying definitely still bothered him. But, he had to suck it up. "And yeah, I'm kinda hating myself in a million different ways for it - But I don't really have much of a choice, do I? If I tell her the truth…" He gave another dry laugh, but this one had a slight twinge of uncertainty to it. "I know it's wrong. Believe me-"

"But that's not what I'm worried about," Michael corrected him softly. "I'm worried about _you._ I mean- I don't want you beating yourself up for this, you know?"

"I know." Adam looked down at him for a moment, meeting the archangel's gentle, concerned gaze, and, after a moment of reluctance, he managed a very small, reassuring smile in response, just something he hoped could console the archangel for the time being. It seemed to work; Michael's shoulders dropped a little, and his pacing slowed considerably, the vice-like grip he had around himself easing just a tiny bit as Adam continued, "and I'm fine. Yeah, it sucks ass, but I gotta do what I gotta do for…" He trailed off, words failing him. "For the Winchesters."

Michael knew what he was about to say, if the softening of his expression and the soft smile tugging at his lips was any indication. After a few seconds, watching as Adam hauled himself up another few bars, the archangel let out a soft, somewhat defeated sounding sigh before he turned and began pulling himself up along with the demon. Adam paused, glancing down, head tilting slightly as Michael made his way up toward him - and he stopped climbing, relaxing more and more the closer the archangel got, until he was right beside him, holding on easily. Adam smiled a little more despite himself, catching Michael's gaze for barely more than a second.

"You know, you were five years old when you managed to climb this thing to the top," Michael commented, a smile of his own appearing on his lips as he hauled himself up. For a kid's jungle gym, the thing was rather high - tilting his head back to look up at it, he could recall the first time he had climbed it. The damn thing had - somehow - looked a lot less daunting when he was tiny and carefree, nothing but a little daredevil completely willing to break a bone or sprain an ankle for the sake of his own curiosity. "When you got up there, you didn't even freak out or anything. You took one look down, and started laughing."

A low chuckle broke through Adam's lips, completely beyond his permission, as he climbed up after the archangel, much more steady and much more confident than he had been just moments before. "I remember that," he muttered, the smile on his face turning a little more wistful as he replayed the memory in his head. "Thought I was on top of the fucking world back then, man. King of the playground. No other kid could get to the top, but I did."

"Well, of course." Michael flashed him a grin, reaching the top and turning over to sit down, waiting for Adam to join him. "You're Adam Milligan. You can do anything you put your mind to."

"Yeah," the demon couldn't help but laugh, following after him and reaching the top barely a second later. He sank back beside the archangel, gripping the bars below him and looking over at Michael with a small, wistful smile still written across his face. "It definitely feels like that when you're a kid. You know... you think there's nothing you can't do, because nobody's ever told you otherwise. When you're little like that, nobody bothers to tell you how limited you really are." He shrugged, and his smile faded, but didn't disappear. "Then you get older, and…"

"And nothing changes," Michael interrupted, gesturing toward the park; Adam turned his head slightly, finally sparing a glance down for the first time since he'd reached the top, and he blinked. Everything else looked a lot smaller from up above, a lot less significant. And it felt like it, too - like he had left all of his problems at the bottom of the jungle gym, completely free the second he had reached the top. There was no nausea, no fear, nothing of the sort. "Adam, you survived _Hell_," the archangel emphasized, leaning forward slightly to watch him. "Maybe I'm being a little bold here, but you're kinda past 'limited', don't you think?"

Adam didn't respond for a moment, just looking over at him. Quiet, thoughtful, calculating. The soft, sappy things Michael said, they didn't surprise him anymore. He barely thought twice.

What he did consider, however, was what the words meant. If Michael thought that surviving Hell really made you into this big, bad, unlimited thing, then how could the archangel think so lowly of himself? He had survived Hell, too. He had survived the pain, and the torment, and the betrayal and abandonment and the _insanity_, and he'd become this; Maybe he wasn't as strong as he used to be. Maybe he wasn't arrogant and overconfident - but he was so, so _good_, and it had used to hurt Adam on a physical level, aching for someone to hate and blame when Lucifer had left, and Sam was gone, and they were the only two there. But by then, Michael had already begun to change. And by then, he had already begun to show Adam just how amazingly kind, and caring, and compassionate and strong he truly was. He had survived. _They had survived._

"The same goes for you," Adam finally spoke up, quieter than before, as he lightly shifted his legs over to let them hang down through the bars of the jungle gym. Michael only glanced over at him, silent, eyebrows furrowing ever so slightly as the archangel listened to the demon's words. Adam only shrugged, fingers loosely gripping the bars beneath him as he looked down across the park once again. "You know, you survived, too."

"Yeah, I did." Michael tilted his head back, looking up at the sky. After a moment, lips pursed, eyes narrowed in silent consideration, before he spoke again. "Couldn't have done it without you - but yeah, you're damn right I survived." At this, Adam couldn't help but smile; the archangel had come a long way from the self-loathing, depressed mess he had, admittedly, started out as. Hell, they'd both come so far. And Adam knew they could only go further. Michael exhaled softly and closed his eyes; the demon glanced over at him, his smile not faltering. "We're awesome."

Adam grinned a little, unable to bite it back in time and unsure if he really wanted to do so. Awesome - they _were _awesome. And the demon had never been prouder - of either of them. "Fuck yeah, we are," he murmured. "And we're gonna kick some serious ass, man."

Grinning, Michael looked over at him, his soft blue eyes alight with a spark - no, not even that anymore. That spark had grown into flames, bursting and crackling and brighter than ever, and Adam felt his smile widen in sheer pleasure the second he caught a glimpse of that fiery, determined look in the archangel's gaze. He was a fighter, and he was strong - it was going to take a lot more than a Cage and a betrayal from God to hold him down, and he was finally getting his wings back and rising back up to what he'd used to be - actually, no. Better than he'd used to be. And Adam couldn't wait to see him rise from the ashes and become it, that strong but sweet, determined but compassionate archangel Adam knew he was.

"I miss you," they sighed, together, as one - and they both paused, but only for a few seconds, before they started laughing. Adam let his head fall back, grinning up at the sky, and Michael only smiled a little to himself as he looked back out across the park. Neither of them were sure how much time they had left, but right then, neither of them really cared. The reunion, however brief it might be, had sparked up the flames, left them stronger than ever. They were both okay. Alive, well, happy, and determined and _ready _to fight.

Didn't matter how far away they were from each other now; They would always be together, always have a part of each other with them, and as long as they had that… then they were never completely incomplete. Not completely whole, but not entirely ripped apart.

As the laughter quieted, they just shook their heads and grinned - though they turned somewhat serene when the dream shifted, seeming to fade ever so slightly; One or both of them was waking up. For a moment, Adam wanted to hold on; But, after a good few seconds, he let it slip. He did, however, turn and reach out to pull Michael into a brief but tight hug, and the archangel complied happily, wrapping his arms around the demon and burying his face into his shoulder. And Adam only smiled, doing the same, eyes drifting shut, because he loved it now. The contact, the hugs, the affection - a part of him had always enjoyed it. It had just taken him a while to accept it, to understand that he needed it. Relied on it, even. And he was sure they'd have many hugs to come, many small, comforting touches and affectionate gestures - and finally, the demon was all for it. Adam sighed, blinking his eyes open.

"Don't forget to tell them about Bela," he whispered, not wanting to pull away, but knowing he would have to soon. Almost in response to his thoughts, Michael seemed to pull him just a little bit closer, and Adam found himself relaxing into the embrace, his smile returning.

"I'll tell them," the archangel murmured back. "Be careful, Adam."

"I'll do my best," Adam promised with a low chuckle, squeezing Michael slightly before he pulled away. He kept his hands on the archangel's shoulders, though, giving him a warm smile - while looking slightly surprised by the open display of affection, Michael only grinned back, soft and compassionate. "You be careful, too," he added, turning serious. "Give Chuck a punch for me." After a moment of thought, he corrected himself, "two punches."

It said something, about their relationship, that Michael didn't laugh. He knew the demon was serious, as serious as he could possibly be, and in response, the archangel gave an agreeing nod and a smile, soft and comforting, but understanding. Adam wasn't joking by any means, and the nod was just a simple confirmation that Michael would definitely be doing what he asked - no words were needed for them to know that. So, the archangel just pulled Adam into another hug and held him close, and Adam leaned into the embrace, holding on as tight as he could. Until, finally, he couldn't anymore, and the dream ripped them apart. It wasn't jarring or abrupt, or scary; Just soft, silent tugs, and they let it pull them away from each other, satisfied that this wouldn't be the last time they saw one another, satisfied that the other was okay.

Adam blinked his eyes open, stretched out on his back on the couch, just as he had fallen asleep. He said nothing, he did nothing, for a good few seconds, just stared up at the ceiling. Then, with a soft sigh and a faint smile, he rolled himself over and heaved himself up off of the couch, a little unsteady on his feet at first, but regaining his balance quickly enough. And the first thing he did was stumble on over to the alcohol stand, grabbing the champagne.

"It's five o' clock somewhere," the demon muttered, pouring himself a glass and downing it slowly. This time, just for the sheer pleasure; Not drinking to try and get drunk, not that it mattered anyway. He let it go down slowly, savoring the taste and the way it singed against his tastebuds, the way it slid down his throat. It was actually a rather calming sensation - drinking just for the hell of it was a lot better than drinking out of stress, or anxiety. Licking his lips, he put the glass down and glanced toward the kitchen - but he tore his gaze back to the other doorway when, just on cue, Bela walked in, looking sleepy, wrapped in a silk robe with her hair down.

She paused for a moment when she saw Adam, and arched an eyebrow at the champagne glass and bottle, looking amused. "Morning," Bela piped up after a good few seconds of silence, dropping her hands from her face. Adam just grinned over at her before turning his head to look out the window; The sun was already up. Funny, time had passed a lot quicker in the dream. But, it was always like that. Adam just didn't dream anymore - until… well, now. And even then… "Sleep well?"

"Mm… Yeah," Adam responded honestly as Bela made her way over to him, reaching around him for the champagne. As she did so, however, she pushed herself up onto the tips of her toes, much to Adam's surprise, to press her lips to his just for a second before she pulled away again. The demon blinked down at her, honestly a little dazed. "What was that for?"

Bela snickered a little, grabbing a glass and leaning back with a smug little smile on her face. "Well, for one…" She flicked her gaze upwards, her eyes leaving his to trail to his hair, before she looked back down again, amused. Adam paused, just for a second, before the realization set in, and immediately reached up in an attempt to fix his hair. Probably shouldn't have went to sleep with it still kind of wet - it was kind of messy now. "Oh, don't fret. It's a cute look on you," the other demon teased him, and Adam just rolled his eyes a little. "Really."

"Go to hell," Adam told her, heaving out a sigh.

"Been there, done that," Bela snickered, pouring herself a glass. "Anywho, since we're already all packed to leave, I thought we'd get an early start. Long trip to Minnesota," she added, and Adam only paused for a second, a tiny bit of dread finally setting in. Right, yeah, they were still going to Minnesota. He was still leading her away. He just hoped Michael could get some answers from Sam and Dean - hell, even Chuck - and fast. The sooner he figured out what she was really out for, and whether she might be working with the enemy, the sooner he could figure out whether or not he was wasting his time trying to save her. "So, ready to go?"

"Maybe," Adam murmured, glancing back down at her, and Bela raised her eyebrows, taking a long sip of the champagne. The demon watched her for a moment, unable to help but soften slightly, and cursing himself all the while as he did so. Sighing, he shook his head and managed a small, dry smile. "Yeah. Just let me fix my hair."

Bela chuckled, grabbing Adam's empty glass and finishing off her own. "Damn, there goes the messy doe-eyed puppy look," the demon pouted playfully, then grinned. "You've got five minutes." With that, she stepped back and spun on her feet, heading for the kitchen.

Adam shook his head again, staring after her. He couldn't help but think back to Michael's words - _you like her_ \- and he kind of hated just how true that was. Hating her was beginning to look a little bit impossible now - but he just had to hold off as much as was possible until he found out more, because forming a genuine attachment at this point definitely wasn't smart. Rubbing a hand over his mouth, the demon paused, turned, and headed off for the bathroom, once more raising his hands and attempting to smooth down his hair.

He'd always hated falling, in every sense of the word. And, he was finding out, he still did.


	58. Chapter 58

_AN: Sorry for the late update, guys! Hope you're not mad XD_

_Like I've stated on my profile - I'll most likely be writing out several chapters in advance before I start posting again. Having everything pre-written was working better for me in the long run, so I'm probably going to end up reverting back to that. So if updates do start slowing a little, that's why XD I'll still be as active as ever, though, and working to finish the story. It's not done yet, believe me, and I'm excited to continue. _

_I'm somewhat active now on Tumblr too (as I've stated on my profile, you can find me there by the same name - lucigooseythelightbringer - if you're interested in following.) I'll be posting little updates on the story from time to time, as well as... little things that may not make much sense but are funny anyway XD So like I said, if you're interested, you can contact me there too. I'll try getting in updates every Monday-Wednesday-Friday, and see if that schedule works out better for me._

_Anywho! Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the chapter! :)_

* * *

So, Michael was relieved to see when he returned, nobody was watching porn.

He was a little surprised to note that Dean had fallen asleep. Somewhat hesitant, he had risen up to take control, only to realize he was the only one who had; Dean was absent, dormant, snoozing away in his own head. A part of Michael wondered how the human could be so comfortable to fall asleep with Chuck nearby - the rest of him wondered how he could be comfortable to fall asleep with Michael in his head. But, the archangel didn't do anything other than take a quick look around. Dean had positioned them on the couch, beside Castiel and Lucifer, who were both still out. Chuck had his head forward, chin touching his chest, just as unconscious, with Gabriel pacing back and forth behind his chair. And Sam, on the other side of the room, was simply typing away on his phone, a faint frown on his face.

Satisfied nothing bad had happened while he was gone, Michael retreated again. He didn't want to take control for too long, running the risk of Dean waking up to the archangel controlling him - he still wanted to keep him as comfortable as possible, and he also knew the hunter deserved his rest. So, he promptly retreated into his memories, bringing up the most recent one of him and Adam in the park. A lot of his anxiety had been calmed and stifled, and he found himself a lot more relaxed than he had been before he'd fallen asleep. Wrapping his arms around himself, he put the memory on loop and simply stared, watching and listening as it played out.

He smiled softly to himself, tilting his head to the side. Yes, he was a lot more relaxed. A lot more… well, content. Everything seemed to be going well - but Michael was still a little scared to hope for too much, or - heaven forbid - jinx it. So he kept these thoughts, these hopes, to himself, bubbling them away in just a little corner of his mind. Just enough so that he could still feel the effects, so he could still smile, so he could still relax and fantasize that maybe, one day, someday soon, eventually, things would go back to the normal he had gotten used to. It wasn't the normal he'd been raised into, the normal he'd known - but after so long with Adam, it was the only kind of normal he could ever begin to get comfortable with. Nothing else would ever be enough. Nothing else would ever feel the same. Maybe it wasn't healthy, but…

Well, Michael liked to think they weren't entirely codependent. After all, they were doing fairly well for their first time being split up since everything that had happened. Adam was functioning, working out a plan, and Michael was… slowly but surely learning how to survive. Still, with this, there was still that feeling, the itch, the missing piece of the puzzle. It wasn't codependence. It was just one person who had gotten split in two. But they could survive this way for now, holding onto the hope that they would be whole again, because that's where they belonged.

This was Michael's destiny, his purpose, his fate. With that in mind, the archangel was confident that one way or another, they'd end up together again - because they were meant to be. But not because God had planned it - because that's how _they _ended up. They were their own self-fulfilling prophecy. Michael smiled a little bit at the thought.

He shook himself out of his thoughts to continue watching, smile softening.

For a while, he began to lose himself in the memory. It was odd, watching him and Adam interact from a completely different perspective. Somehow, it seemed even sweeter; The glances, the touches, the smiles. He rubbed his arm absently, just staring - but he turned his head slightly when the memory suddenly shifted - hell, just about everything shifted. Something was off - off, but not wrong. Just different. The archangel looked around, bewildered and just a little bit nervous, though he relaxed rather quickly at another realization; Dean had woken up.

Michael debated on saying something to the hunter, but he decided against it for the time being. The oldest Winchester took his time shaking himself from the grogginess, exhaustion still clinging to him as the hunter took everything in again, just trying to get his bearings. And, so, the archangel let him, turning his attention back to the memory while he waited.

His eyes tracked Adam as the demon stood and made his way to the jungle gym; The memory-him immediately stood to follow, the conversation continuing on as Adam began his ascent. The demon was barely halfway up by the time the memory shifted again - and then, suddenly, Dean was there. Admittedly, Michael practically jumped out of his skin, staggering backwards and away from the hunter, while Dean held his hands up in front of him and looked around, obviously just as disoriented. The archangel could only stare, wide-eyed, startled.

"Uh…" Dean took another quick look around, blinking, before turning his bewildered gaze back to Michael. They were both slowly beginning to recover - the hunter somehow faster than the archangel - and with this, came a strange sense of confusion on both ends. Michael just took in a deep breath and put a hand over his chest, fingers trembling just the slightest bit as he fought to recover from the brief scare; Dean stared at him, obviously baffled. "... sorry. Wow."

Michael only shook his head, speechless with shock, and Dean turned away again with one last, confused glance toward the archangel, taking in his surroundings carefully. His gaze came to rest on the figures in the memory - by this point, Michael had already gone to join Adam on the jungle gym - and the oldest Winchester's confusion seemed to intensify tenfold, just for a second. Now was as good a time as any for Michael to start explaining, and he would get right on that the moment he could catch the breath he didn't really need, and the moment his heart stopped pounding like a jackhammer and his spine stopped tingling like someone had just stabbed him in the back with an icicle. He swallowed, hard, and cleared his throat.

"I- sorry…" The archangel mumbled, not really sure what he was apologizing for. Probably because he felt bad that Dean had apologized… especially considering the hunter hadn't _meant _to scare him, so it couldn't possibly have been his fault. It could have been for a myriad of things, honestly, half the time Michael didn't even know what he was apologizing for anyway, he was just _sorry_, all the time - but right then, he needed to say it, because he didn't know what else to say. Dean shot him a bewildered look in response, shaking his head.

"Yeah. Okay."

Michael hesitated, wanting to say more, but he didn't get the chance to before Dean had turned away yet again, eyes trailing to the jungle gym as he wandered a few steps forward, watching the memory play out. After a moment, the archangel shifted his focus back to the memory, as well, wrapping his arms around himself once again and even venturing forward a little bit to stand beside Dean, shifting his weight to one side and tilting his head faintly as he stared. A small smile tugged at his lips, watching Adam turn to pull him into a hug, every part of him aching to feel the demon's arms wrapped around him again, to be as close as he had been just moments before he had woken up.

Dean's eyes flickered toward him, not saying a word. Something in his expression had softened, though, something akin to understanding. But it faded when Adam's words reached their ears, and Michael's own smile vanished at the reminder, immediately on the alert.

_Don't forget to tell them about Bela, _the demon had reminded him - and Michael had definitely almost forgotten, getting far too caught up in the rest of the memory. Dean stared for a moment, eyebrows furrowing, seemingly piecing the puzzle together, as if he didn't quite understand - before he sucked in a sharp breath, realizing it at once, and whirled around to face Michael so fast that the archangel flinched - visibly - in surprise. But he didn't move back, surprising even himself with the lack of retreat, and he swallowed down the instinctive rush of apologies. He hadn't done anything wrong, he hadn't made any mistakes. He had to learn to stop saying he was sorry when there was nothing to be sorry about.

"You talked to him?" Dean demanded, studying Michael's expression carefully, taking in every flicker of emotion that crossed his face; There was no wariness, though, no caution or suspicion or distrust. He clearly expected Michael to be honest with him - and that's what he intended.

"We connected - in a dream," the archangel explained, slowly tugging his arms from around himself and raising a hand to rub the back of his neck. Dean furrowed his eyebrows, but said nothing, and so Michael continued, "I suppose it's because of our connection - our souls were just so entangled that we likely brought a piece of one another with us when…" He trailed off, realizing he might be getting a bit off topic, and also not really wanting to finish that sentence in the first place. "He wanted me to ask you and Sam about a woman - a demon he met, named Bela. He said she'd helped him escape from my Father in exchange for him leading her to you."

"Oh, no," Dean groaned, and, judging by that reaction, Michael definitely had a feeling that this 'Bela' wasn't good news by any means. The oldest Winchester sighed, scrubbing his hands down his face, and shook his head a little bit. "Bela Talbot…" The hunter grimaced, shifting a little on his feet and turning away from Michael again, looking around the park somewhat absently now. "Crap. What else did he say?"

"That you have history with her," Michael told him, eyebrows furrowing. "And that she's likely angry and out for revenge, since you apparently let her get taken to Hell?"

Dean gave him an incredulous look, and Michael had to physically bite back his apology this time. "You're kidding," the hunter uttered, disbelief lacing his words like venom. "Man- no. That's not how it went down - not really. She didn't ask for help. By the time I'd figured it out, it was too late. You know what she did? She was a friggin' pain in the ass. Crazy bitch…" The oldest Winchester seethed, and Michael's eyebrows raised slightly, his mind flashing back to the beginning of the conversation. Adam had uttered those same two words, if he wasn't mistaken, with the same expression of frustration on his face. Only the demon had also looked amused.

"Adam doesn't believe her - well, not really," Michael added, recalling how his friend had basically said he wanted to give Bela the benefit of the doubt, but he just needed to be sure of her intentions. "At least, he doesn't trust her. He wants to, though. He's just not sure if she can be trusted around you and Sam," he explained, as Dean's eyebrows furrowed. "Potentially, she could be… dangerous, I suppose. Adam said she does feel genuinely betrayed."

"She literally-" Dean cut off, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Michael gave him a helpless, sympathetic glance, mouth twisting slightly as the oldest Winchester rubbed a hand down his face again, then over his mouth, seemingly trying to think of something to say. "Okay, so- what's he doing?" The hunter finally asked, "is he leading her to us, or…?"

"Well- no," Michael replied, slightly puzzled by that. "Like I said, he doesn't know if he can trust her. He's actually leading her away until he can figure out whether she intends to harm you." At this, Dean looked visibly shocked, just for a good few seconds, before those stony walls he had built up had risen up again once more. Michael frowned, but he didn't say anything; It wasn't his business to pry when it came to Dean Winchester; He wasn't his body-buddy. He may be his true vessel, but he wasn't his _true vessel_, and he wasn't the one he was supposed to look after. It simply wasn't his business, and that was that. "He wanted me to talk to you about her," the archangel did speak up again, looking down now. "To see if you can tell us something that she might have left out in her stories. He wants to be able to trust her."

"Don't really see why…" Dean muttered. Michael bit his lip, and while he didn't say anything else, he didn't try to stop Adam's frustrated-but-affectionate expression from popping into his head, the bitter amusement with which he spoke of the demon, the way he had blushed when Michael had started teasing the fact that he might like her, the fact that he had slept with her - but the archangel shut down those thoughts quickly. Dean didn't say anything, but the realization flickered across his face instantly, as well as some understanding - and he also seemed, unsurprisingly and yet surprisingly at the same time, impressed. "Oh… huh."

"Yeah…" Michael offered a slightly nervous laugh and closed his eyes for a moment when the memory froze, looping it back to the beginning once again. "I've never seen him this way before. It's not just that he doesn't… you know, that he doesn't _trust _her. He- he _wants _to, but he's still being careful and trying to save her at the same time." A small smile began to appear on the archangel's face, glancing away for a moment. "It's… it's actually really sweet of him."

Dean studied him for a moment, then turned his head to the side, simply watching the memory play out for a while. After a few seconds, Michael managed to force his own gaze up, as well, wrapping his arms around himself once more and furrowing his eyebrows faintly, smile softening even further as he watched. And, after a while, Dean finally heaved out a sigh and shook his head - though he didn't seem angry, or even remotely exasperated. If anything, he seemed slightly amused. "Yeah, he's definitely a Winchester, then," he muttered.

Michael couldn't help but crack a grin, looking back down at his feet. He was definitely pleased by that comment - hell, maybe even more so than Adam would have been, had he been there to hear it. That was all he wanted, after all, for the demon to be a part of whatever Sam and Dean were. For him to be with his family, and to be happy, because he'd spent so long being so angry. But even then, the more he thought about it, the more he realized Adam _hadn't _been angry lately. No explosive rages, no excessive fury. Like he had left the burden of his own rage behind, and coming into something new; Like he was finally _recovering_. And that was a beautiful thing. Because if anybody deserved to be able to do that, it was Adam Milligan.

Dean stared at him, then looked back toward the memory. But he only watched it unravel again for a few seconds before he'd turned away once more, crossing his arms. "So, what's his plan?"

Michael blinked and paused for a second, a little uncertain. "As far as I know… just figuring out her intentions," he responded, frowning. "I mean, knowing Adam, he'll… cross that bridge when he gets to it. Right now he's just focused on getting her as far away from you and Sam as possible and figuring out whether or not she's working for or with my Father." His frown deepened slightly. "We think he has something to do with it. His rescue was far too easy, even for _my _liking…" He trailed off, shaking his head. He still couldn't decide whether it was better that Adam was with Bela than with Chuck - both situations were potentially dangerous.

"Smart kid," Dean muttered appreciatively, and Michael's lips twitched slightly, a fond look crossing his face. Yes, Adam definitely was smart. He was being so careful; Even though he wanted to trust her, he was relying more on facts, working to figure out how to proceed before anything else, keeping the danger _away _from his brothers until he could find a way to fix it. "Not a bad plan, either," Dean commented, though he was frowning now. "But if she is working with Chuck, what's he gonna do about it?"

"I'm not sure," Michael admitted, smile twisting into a frown. He knew Adam better than anyone else could, but he was genuinely at a loss here, simply considering the fact that the demon seemed to genuinely like Bela - but he wasn't much of a talk-out-his-problems person, either. Still, despite that… "He might attempt to reason with her," the archangel muttered, "depending on whether or not she's aware of my Father's manipulations."

Dean nodded a little, clicking his teeth together. "We could try and get some information out of Chuck," the hunter commented. "But at the same time, his word isn't exactly reliable."

"By any means," Michael agreed with a soft, despondent sigh, furrowing his eyebrows. "Regardless, it'd be good to try. That's what I was thinking, anyway." He fell silent for a few moments, looking back up at the hunter. "So you implied… she may be exaggerating quite a bit in what she's told Adam," the archangel recalled somewhat uncertainly.

"That's one way to put it," Dean admitted, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I mean, yeah - the whole getting-dragged-down-to-Hell thing is true. But she _didn't _ask for help. Hell, she stole from us, she lied to us, she friggin' _shot _Sam," the hunter huffed a little, and Michael's eyebrows raised slightly at that, not sure whether he was surprised by that or not, considering what he'd heard of Bela already. "She could've come to us for help. She had every opportunity," the oldest Winchester sighed, glancing away. "By the time she did, it was too late. We couldn't have done anything even if we wanted to. It wasn't our fault." Dean's mouth twisted.

Michael stared at him for a moment, silent. Of course he believed the hunter, without a doubt - but still, despite what Dean was saying, there was still a flicker of guilt, or something akin to it, at least, sparkling in his eyes. The archangel agreed, to be honest, it couldn't possibly be their fault if they hadn't known until it was too late, but he understood that to some extent, Dean felt somewhat bad about it, in some way. And he also understood that Bela felt that she had been betrayed. From what Adam had told him, she was genuinely hurt, and angry with them.

"It wouldn't have been your fault, anyway," the archangel murmured, not sure why he felt the need to console the hunter. "It's my Father who made the big decisions back then. You couldn't be held responsible if he was manipulating things."

Dean didn't reply, but his shoulders eased back a little bit, and his furrowed eyebrows seemed to relax, ever so slightly, from the way they were creased together across his forehead. The hunter ran his tongue over his lips and nodded, short and simple, before he turned his head a little to the side and looked back over toward the memory, watching for only a few seconds before he turned his attention back to Michael. "I'm gonna tell Sam," he told him simply, and Michael nodded a little in response. He'd intended to tell them together, but then, things never really turned out the way he intended anyway. He didn't really mind this, though. "You comin'?"

Michael managed a small, hesitant smile in response. It surprised him, slightly, the question - and it made him just a little bit anxious, wondering whether or not the hunter did want him to take control along with him. Dean quirked an eyebrow slightly, though he said nothing. He wasn't going to influence Michael's decision, he wasn't going to say what _he _wanted the archangel to do; he realized a little too late that he wanted Michael to decide for himself. And, so, somewhat hesitantly, he did. "Of course." He glanced up, past the hunter. "Just, um…"

Dean shot a glance over his shoulder, back toward the memory, and a flicker of understanding crossed his face. He nodded slightly at Michael in response, and the archangel could have sworn he saw a faint, barely-noticeable smile on his face as Dean turned away.

And then he was gone.

Michael only sighed softly to himself and looked back at the memory, just watching for a moment. He couldn't stay cooped up inside his own head forever, much as he wished he could. Adam had been right, though, they needed his help with the Cage, and the sooner he got to that, the better. So he'd be spending most of his time in the Empty… with Amara… and the Shadow… and… jeez, he wasn't looking forward to that. Of course he wouldn't spend all his time there, as he also had to figure out how much his Father knew about Bela, and get the information to Adam somehow. It was a lot, most definitely, but Michael felt oddly relaxed. Like maybe they had some kind of chance now. At least knowing Adam was okay had helped to calm his nerves quite a bit, and to get him focused on the bigger picture.

He smiled a little to himself, then closed his eyes for a moment before slowly bringing himself up to take control along with Dean. He was careful, trying not to startle the hunter, but Dean didn't seem focused on him anyway. The oldest Winchester was watching his brother, on his feet now with a bottle of whiskey in his hands, trading glances between Sam and the bottle while he scanned the label. The younger of the two was hunched over his laptop now, the phone pressed to his ear. "-yeah. Yeah, just call me when you can. Stay safe. Alright."

"Who was that?" Dean questioned casually as he finally opened the bottle, lifting it to his lips and taking a small sip. Sam looked up, ready to answer, but he paused for a second when he saw Dean drinking from a whole bottle of whiskey; the younger hunter recovered fast enough, though, with nothing more than a shake of his head as he put his phone down.

"Ketch," he informed his older brother, arching his eyebrows. "I was just, uh… catching him up." His expression shifted a little after he had spoken, moments before Dean had even lowered the bottle, before the grin appeared on his face. Sam seemed to know what was coming; Michael, despite being in the hunter's head, was a little slower on the uptake.

"Don't you mean…" Dean paused. "... _Ketch_-ing him up?"

Michael blinked, bewildered, while Sam just hung his head and pressed a hand over his face, rubbing it down slowly and letting out a long, heavy sigh. Gabriel, on the other hand, started laughing slightly, even pausing in his pacing and letting himself fall back against the wall behind him. Dean burst out laughing not too long after, though he made more of an attempt to stifle it. As for Michael… yeah, he still didn't understand a thing.

"Come on," the hunter chortled, grinning somewhat encouragingly at his brother, while Sam only shot him an exasperated look in response. "It's _funny_. I'm hilarious."

"It was," Gabriel agreed, still snickering. Michael looked over at him for a moment, unable to help a small smile. He was happy to see his younger brother back in good spirits, at least.

"It's so hard to talk to you," Sam mumbled. "Both of you." He shook his head again, inciting another burst of laughter from Dean, who tilted his head back to swallow another few mouthfuls of the whiskey. Michael paused a little at the taste, somewhat thoughtful. Adam would probably like whiskey, he noted. It was very strong, and somewhat bitter, at least to the archangel. And he knew the demon liked those kinds of things, for whatever reason…

The archangel shook his head a little bit, then turned his focus to Chuck. His father was still unconscious, now just with a new stream of blood running down his lip; Judging by the same crimson stains on Gabriel's knuckles, his brother had put likely had to put their Father to sleep again. Michael would definitely have to keep an eye on that; He couldn't speak to Chuck if he wasn't conscious, and he had to get to the bottom of this Bela thing. Dean perked up a bit at the thought, immediately turning his attention back to his brother.

"Right. Bela's back," the oldest Winchester informed the younger hunter, and Sam visibly paused, his eyes flicking back up to his brother's face at once. "Yeah. And she's with Adam - some kind of rescue. They're pretty sure it's staged. She's looking for us. And she's a demon, so that's just great." Dean shook his head a little bit, honestly seeming resigned to it by now, and Michael couldn't help but frown slightly. They must be used to people trying to kill them. Demons, at least, Michael was certain they were… "You have no idea."

"What?" Sam asked, a little confused by the last part; It took him a second to realize that Dean wasn't talking to him, and he paused again, then shook his head. "Okay, I'm sorry, back up- Adam's with Bela? What, is she, like… holding him hostage or something?" He pressed.

"No," Michael chose that moment to speak up, much to Dean's relief, because the hunter didn't remember all the details. "No, Adam's alright. He's leading her away until he can figure out whether her intentions are good or bad. He believes she may be working for my Father - most likely under some form of manipulation," the archangel added with a frown, and Sam furrowed his eyebrows slightly at this, looking mildly contemplative, but he fell silent now as he thought.

"And Bela's, apparently, out for our heads," Dean cut in, frowning. "So that's fun."

Sam gave him a weary look, looking just as resigned, and opened his mouth to say something; Only to pause and jump, startled, when Castiel and Lucifer suddenly bolted upright, both of them gasping. Michael, admittedly, jumped quite a bit himself, and Dean was most likely startled quite a bit as well, not that the hunter would admit it. He was much like Adam in that aspect. The archangel watched his brothers, concerned, as Castiel doubled over, a hand over his chest, just catching his breath. Lucifer, who had recovered much faster, simply pushed himself up off the couch and frowned, an odd look on his face, an emotion Michael couldn't read.

"Welcome back," Gabriel piped up, and Lucifer's head whirled toward him at once, then to Chuck, eyebrows furrowing slightly for a moment as the Devil pushed himself to stand.

"Are you two alright?" Michael asked with a frown, and Lucifer and Castiel both glanced up, equal amounts of exhaustion written across their faces. The Devil's was masked a little quicker than Castiel's, but they both reigned in their weariness rather quickly, as Castiel pushed himself to stand alongside his older brother, shaking his head slightly as if to clear it. Lucifer, still seeming rather disoriented, only continued to stare at his oldest brother for a long, long time before he finally managed to respond. "Yeah." It was a short and simple answer, and Michael didn't believe it for a second; He didn't understand. Lucifer had been alright just before they'd gone - what could have happened in the Empty that would put his younger brother on edge like this? But, Michael didn't question him, only frowned slightly before he turned to Castiel.

"Fine," Castiel muttered at once, the second Michael's gaze rested on him. And he actually did seem fine - a little tense, but he looked like he was still recovering from the transition from the Empty, not the odd way Lucifer was acting. The angel shook himself again, rather harshly this time, before he turned his gaze back to them. "Jack wanted me to tell you that he misses you," he told them quietly, and Michael retreated at once, knowing he was talking to Dean now, as well as Sam, and both of them seemed to falter quite a bit. "And that he's sorry."

Neither hunter responded; Sam looked down at his laptop, although unfocused, and Dean only stared for a while before clearing his throat, finally managing to bring himself to speak. "Any idea when he's gonna be able to come back, or…?"

"Soon," Lucifer promised, albeit vaguely, and the Winchesters and Castiel turned their gazes back to the Devil at once. Michael only furrowed his eyebrows, watching. "He's only staying behind to work on the Cage now. Billie's finishing up my old vessel, and then we're all good." He paused for a moment, turning his head toward Chuck. "We have to find Adam."

"About that…" Michael started, taking control again to explain.

"I'll fill him in. I gotta talk to him anyway," Gabriel interrupted, and Michael paused for a second, but he nodded at his younger brother. The youngest archangel eased around their Father, brushing past Lucifer on his way to the kitchen, and Lucifer shot a confused look after him, then simply shrugged at Michael before following. Dean watched them go, silent. Michael frowned.

"He's not… doing too well," Castiel noted quietly, once the archangels were safely in the kitchen and talking amongst themselves. Michael paused, looking back over at him, and his frown deepened even further, eyebrows furrowing slightly in a mixture of concern and confusion.

"What d'you mean?"

Before Castiel could respond, the front door opened; Dean was on the defense at once, but Sam waved him off just as quickly, just as two familiar figures walked in. Rowena was grinning ear to ear, while Crowley looked like he was trying not to smile, rolling his eyes at his mother.

Michael visibly relaxed, letting out a soft, somewhat relieved sigh, and Dean calmed down almost immediately. "Hello, boys," Crowley drawled, finally allowing a smirk to settle across his lips as he sauntered over to them, hands in his pockets, all-too confident. He paused, however, looking over at Chuck, and he quirked an eyebrow, almost amused. "You've upgraded," he commented idly, "went from taking down demons to taking down God, have you? Big shots."

Despite himself, Michael laughed. He didn't really mean to, it kind of just slipped out, but he had to admit, the demon was kind of funny. Dean, on the other hand, merely rolled his eyes. "Go big or go home, right?" He responded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That's the spirit," Rowena called, busying herself with clearing off Chuck's desk to make room for the giant spellbook Michael recognized from before, which she flipped open and began scanning through. Sam closed his laptop and put it aside, standing up and walking over to her at once to read along with her. Rowena merely grinned. "Nevertheless, you are the Winchesters. God or not, he doesn't stand a chance, correct?"

"Yeah. Definitely." Sam snorted, not seeming too confident in his own response.

"I never liked him anyway," Crowley hummed, still staring Chuck down. "Far too cocky." He paused, turning around to face Rowena again. "Weren't you and him a thing at one point? … You always did have horrible taste in men."

"Please, Fergus," Rowena sighed, brushing her hair out of her face. "Charles and I were never a _thing_, you know this. It was simply something that could have been, but never was… It just wasn't meant to be…" She trailed off, her eyes lingering on Chuck for a moment, and Michael's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise when he finally realized what they were saying. Rowena and his Father? That was a new one. To be honest, the witch could do a _lot _better than Chuck…

Dean snickered. "Yeah, no kidding."

Rowena spared him a look, clearly thinking he was talking to her. "_Regardless,_" she emphasized, glancing back toward Crowley. "Not a thing. Just a could-have-been."

"Right, my mistake." Crowley rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Sam and Dean, glancing between them for a good few seconds before he focused on Dean and Michael in particular. After looking the oldest Winchester up and down for a good few seconds, he pursed his lips and leaned back, head tilting. "So, Michael. What happened to your demon?"

Rowena looked up again, eyes flicking from Crowley to Dean and back again, before coming to rest on the older hunter. Her eyebrows shot up, a mixture of stunned and bewildered. "_Pardon_?" She uttered, staring Dean down now. "Oh, don't tell me you let the archangel in again… have you not learned your lesson with that?" She demanded, looking miffed. "Honestly?"

"It's a long story…" Michael mumbled, somewhat uncomfortable. Yeah, it still stung.

"Alright, hey." Dean held his hands up, giving Rowena a warning look. "Obviously, it's fine. Let's try and remember this isn't the same Michael, huh? D'you see him causing any trouble, 'cause I sure as hell don't. Either way, I think we've got bigger fish to fry." He jerked his head toward Chuck, as if to emphasize his point, "and this is only temporary until we find Adam. Or, at least until he wants to be found." The hunter huffed a little, shaking his head. "So relax."

"I still think you're a dumbass," Crowley told him bluntly, while Rowena raised her eyebrows in agreement and looked back down at the book, shaking her head slightly in exasperation. Michael, on the other hand, had mixed feelings about what the hunter had said; It seemed like Dean was finally beginning to trust him, finally beginning to understand he really was different from his alternate universe counterpart, and that… was honestly a really great feeling. It took away some of the sting, at least, and that was even better. The archangel relaxed, sighing.

"Eh, he's a Winchester, it's in his blood," Gabriel chuckled as he ducked out of the kitchen; Michael turned to watch, eyes flicking straight to Lucifer, who followed their younger brother out with a slightly amused expression on his face. "Oh- hello, Rowena."

"Gabriel," Rowena purred, a smile tugging at her lips now.

Crowley glanced between them, paused, then let out a low mumble of "give me a break" and headed straight for the kitchen, most likely to get some kind of alcohol. Michael looked down at the whiskey bottle in Dean's hand, paused, then simply brought it up to his lips, himself, to take a couple sips. For the first time, he thought, it was definitely unfortunate that alcohol had no effect on him. This was bound to be a long… well, however long it would be until they got Adam back, that was for certain.


	59. Chapter 59

Adam hadn't really been aware of how much he missed his hometown, but from the moment they'd arrived, he'd been completely fascinated with it all. The demon part of him hated how connected the human part of him was to Minnesota, still, but the rest of him… He leaned his head against the window, wide eyes tracking everything as they drove by, and he struggled to keep the nostalgia from showing, the wistfulness. These were the streets he'd grown up on, buildings he'd entered multiple times, sidewalks he'd paced relentlessly. Even some of the faces were familiar - his old high school teachers, he even managed to catch a glimpse of one of his college professors while they drove past Wyoming. Or, at least, he thought so. He wasn't sure; It might just be being back in the city again, but it was all just so… _intense_.

Honestly, he was wondering if this might have been a mistake. If he might unintentionally allow his emotions to get in the way of what he had to do now - but he shook those thoughts off and pushed them aside for the time being. It wasn't as important as keeping Bela occupied. He still had to figure out what he was going to do when she found out there wasn't really a hunt in the area. He didn't know if feeding her any more lies would work, but it wasn't like he could stage a ghoul hunt, could he? Though, maybe with the right pressure, he could redirect her attention elsewhere. He just had to keep her content, until he had more information.

Ten years… ten years, and hardly anything had changed. People had aged, this he could see. They drove past old streets, old houses he remembered. Some had been torn down and rebuilt different, but most of the things Adam remembered still stood, and he, in equal measure, loved and hated it all at the same time. It was hard not to feel for the place where you were born and raised, the place where you spent your best days growing up and learning.

Well, maybe not his best days. His best days were with Michael and Lucifer. Even if the Cage had been literal Hell, it had brought him some pretty close friends. Friends he would give anything for. He wouldn't admit his affection for Lucifer, since the Devil still pissed him off every now and again - but Michael, he was willing to admit, he loved the guy like a brother. Maybe falling into Hell had brought more good than bad. It had just taken a little bit longer for Adam to really see it - and boy, did he see it. As far as his life went, Adam Milligan couldn't complain. It wasn't what he thought it would be, but in a way, a different way, it was better.

He smiled to himself as they drove past a diner, his eyes tracking it until he couldn't see it anymore. His mother would take him there every so often, order him a pizza, and they'd talk on her days off, during the weekend. Just talk about what was going on at school, at work, laughing and trading jokes over a warm cup of coffee and some steaming food. They would just talk, the rest of the diner seeming dead around them. The smile turned a little wistful, and despite himself, he felt his eyes mist up just a little bit, pricking slightly at the corners, tears threatening to rise but never quite getting there. He blinked them back and looked away, needing just a few seconds to compose himself before he looked back out the window again.

It still felt kind of stupid, the human part of him. The part of him that still ached over the smallest things, over the reminder of his mother, over being here, in this city, the place he was raised…

But at the same time, it was kind of like a breath of fresh air.

The demon sighed a little to himself, soft and silent, flicking his gaze across the buildings as they drove past. Every so often, though, he brought his eyes back to Bela, just to ensure she was focused on the road. She was- sort of. More or less. Though half of her focus was fixated on the radio, flipping through different channels with a slight frown on her face, seemingly struggling to find something good to listen to. Adam bit his tongue to keep back a chuckle, looking back out the window once again - and, oh, was that one of his friends from college? … time has not been kind… Adam shook his head a little, amused.

For a moment, he wondered what it'd be like. To catch up to his old friends, to say hi, to see how much they might have changed. To go into the diner he had once spent most of his time at, to visit the bars he had gone to since he was fifteen. He wondered what it'd be like to visit the park again, the real thing, instead of just the memory. Yes, Adam wondered, but… but it didn't matter anymore, now. This was the life he had left behind. He didn't even _want _the life back, and he acknowledged this, he accepted it - but even he couldn't keep his thoughts from trailing, letting the _what if's _wrap around him for the time being. What it might be like to interact with this city again, this town, and the people in it, people Adam had once known.

"Ugh, I give up," Bela hissed, abruptly turning the radio off altogether. Adam blinked, bringing his gaze back to the other demon quickly, though he spared one last glance out the window and frowned before he turned back to her completely. "There's nothing good on. Just idiots ranting about Christmas - honestly, who wants to hear all of that?" She huffed.

"What d'you have against Christmas?" Adam questioned, genuinely curious. Truthfully enough, the demon didn't have much to say about the holiday. You'd think he'd hate it, with all it brought; Kids, laughter, just happiness in-general, but it actually brought up some pretty good memories for him. He associated the holiday, of course, with his mother. And demon or not… he couldn't think negatively about her, or anything relating to her. He knew he should… but he just didn't. As for Christmas, he was kind of indifferent about it now - but he didn't hate it as much as he expected. Or as much as he hated a choice few other holidays - such as Valentine's Day. Easter, even, was one he could do without. But Christmas, he couldn't say he hated by any means.

"Would you like the detailed list or the short summary?" Bela snorted, shaking her head a little bit with an irritated expression on her face. "I mean, for one, the songs."

"The songs aren't that bad," Adam defended, not sure why he was, but he was. "Jingle Bells always had a certain, ah… ring to it." Despite himself, he laughed a little at his own joke, while Bela offered him a half-disgusted, half-intrigued look, amusement sparkling through her green eyes for a moment as she just shook her head and sighed. Adam just grinned, looking back out the window. He was definitely in a better mood, after talking with Michael. "Ah, I'm funny."

"No, you're not." Bela shook her head a little, but she was smiling slightly to herself now as she focused on the road. Still slightly irritated, but a little warmer than before. Adam just grinned and sank back into the seat, glancing back out the window with a low hum. "Anyway, I'll give Jingle Bells a pass, because I'll agree that it's a tad catchy, at the very least. But the other songs? I mean, who wants to hear about a red-nosed reindeer? They don't even exist. Don't even get me started on 'Santa Claus is coming to town' - honestly. 'He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake'-" She sang out mockingly, and Adam couldn't help but laugh, simply from her tone. "Creepy, much, Mr. Claus?"

"It's a good way to scare your kids into being good," Adam conceded with a grin, crossing his arms over his chest. "They won't act up if they think the old fat man from the mall is watching them in their sleep. At the very least, they'll be somewhat decent." He shook his head a little bit, still grinning ear to ear now. "The Santa Claus song… I'll agree, yeah, sure, some creepy messages are hidden within… but almost every song is like that if you overthink it enough."

"Oh, so I'm overthinking things? Is that what you're saying?"

"No, dear," Adam sighed mockingly, rolling his eyes to the side. In response, Bela laughed a little bit, and the demon grinned slightly to himself as he looked back out the window. "Anyway, as for the reindeer - don't dis Rudolph, man. That's just not cool," he told her, arching an eyebrow slightly, and Bela gave him a mocking look in response as he went on, "I kinda liked that song. You know, way back when, at least," he added absently, mouth twisting into a frown. Bela snorted, looking ahead again. "I just don't see what's so bad about Christmas," Adam finally admitted, pursing his lips. "Even I don't hate it, and… I hate _everything_."

Bela let out a low groan in the back of her throat, shaking her head a little bit. "It's irritating," she insisted, scowling. "People putting their Christmas lights up right after Halloween ends - sometimes before, if they're feeling really jolly. The carolers, the singing, the damn pudding and fruitcake and _candy canes _and the children wearing Santa hats and elf ears-" She paused, sucking in a deep breath, and let it out in a huff. "It's revolting. All of it."

Adam stared at her for a long time, eyebrows raised, then slowly turned to look back out the window again, shaking his head. "Jeez, okay, Scrooge. Bah humbug to you too."

"Yes, laugh it up," Bela mumbled sarcastically, while Adam bit back a chuckle. Sometimes, this woman was almost worse than he was. At least he didn't loathe Christmas, as she apparently did. He had _some _things he didn't hate… which was good, he supposed. A part of him was a little annoyed by that, but the rest of him found it somewhat relieving. He just wasn't angry all the time, the way he used to be. "But you won't find it funny when there are Christmas lights still up in the middle of March and children still humming 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus'."

"I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus, underneath the mistletoe last night~"

"I swear, I will drive this car into that building."

"Jeez, you're worse than I am!" Adam exclaimed, laughing slightly now as he looked away. Truth be told, he wasn't sure why he was in such a good mood. He knew most of it had to do with his brief reunion with Michael, but even then, he still felt _good_. Better than he would have expected, considering everything. He'd have to think on it later; It just seemed like a lot of his anger had dissipated into thin air. Maybe there was a little hope left. Maybe it wasn't all blind demon-rage for him - maybe all he'd needed was to figure out how to block out the demonic side with a little more human joy. And, boy, was he feeling it. Real, genuine joy, for the first time since the Cage. A part of it might also have to do with the fact that he really enjoyed teasing Bela.

"I don't know about that," Bela countered, glancing ahead again. "You're rather awful. Alright, I'm going to get gas here," she decided, pulling into a gas station, and Adam glanced back out the window for a moment and nodded faintly to himself. "And then we're going to find a hotel or something, because I've been driving for hours on end and I need a shower."

"God, a shower sounds great," Adam agreed. "A woman after my own heart…"

"Keep talking about Christmas, and I'll reach in there and pull your heart out myself," Bela told him sweetly as she stopped the car, rolling her eyes while Adam just snickered. "Yes, you're a regular comedian. So funny, laugh it all up, you insufferable fool. Maybe I'll just stick my hand down your throat to get to your heart instead of going through the chest."

"Kinky. I mean I guess if you're into that sort of thing-"

"I hate you," Bela groaned, getting out of the car, and Adam smirked triumphantly as he watched her storm off toward the building, disappearing inside. After a good few seconds, the demon decided to get out, as well, just to stretch a bit - he'd been jammed inside the car with her for the past few hours, he needed a breath of fresh air and to work out some of the stiffness in his muscles, as well as clear his head as much as was possible. He stretched his arms over his head and sank his weight back against the car, closing his eyes for a moment with a yawn. He wasn't even tired - more or less somewhat bored. And he still had to figure out his plan…

The demon sighed a little, rubbing his hand down his face.

"_Adam Milligan?"_

Adam paused, blinked, and dropped his hand from his face, turning slowly to see who was talking to him. Admittedly enough, he didn't recognize the guy at first, and so he simply found himself staring blankly into a pair of deep brown eyes, which seemed to be sizing him up with a mixture of confusion and disbelief. For the life of him, he couldn't bring a name to mind. The face was familiar, he'd give it that, and yet it was like staring at a total stranger.

"Yeah. That's my name." Adam tilted his head to the side, still staring, still struggling. It had been ten years, but he didn't think it should be this hard to think of a name. Especially since this man seemed to know him, and rather well at that, judging by the expression on his face. Again, he looked familiar. Just in a way… as if Adam had seen his face on TV, or on the news. Familiar in the way that he recognized the face, the features, but he didn't know who was standing in front of him. Not a single thing about him. He frowned, eyes narrowing faintly in mild irritation.

"Dude, you _died_," the man insisted, squinting at him now, and Adam blinked, diverting his attention back to him rather quickly. "I swear you did… it was all over the news. You and your mom. What the hell…" He stepped closer, and, somewhat out of instinct, Adam stepped away, eyes darkening faintly and a low, guttural growl rising in his throat. If the familiar stranger didn't take his unspoken warning and back off now, Adam couldn't quite be held responsible for what he did next; But, the man, unfazed, continued forward, looking curious. "Jesus Christ… The hell've you been the past ten years, Milligan?"

"Here and there. Hell, actually," Adam responded through clenched teeth, narrowing his eyes slightly at the man. He was pissing him off, to be completely honest. "Who are you again?"

The familiar stranger blinked back at him, looking bewildered, then let out a low snort and rolled his eyes to the side. "Man, are you for real?" He eyed Adam for a moment, but when the demon showed no sign that he was even remotely joking, his frown returned, a little deeper. "Dude," he protested, crossing his arms over his chest now. "Come on, really? Nigel Hawke? _College_?"

For a long time, Adam could only stare, not quite piecing the name together yet. When it finally hit, though, it came with a rush of memories; Nigel Hawke, one of his ex-best friends from high school and his biggest rival in college. The guy had made almost every class a living hell for him, and it certainly didn't help that Nigel had been his roommate, either. They shared a dorm, and thus, there were parties every Friday night - sometimes during the week if Nigel was feeling extra rebellious - and Adam would often have to retreat outside to his truck to get any kind of studying done. Nigel was the one who taunted him, mercilessly, about not having any fun, about being all work and no play - but beyond that, looking at him now, Adam felt… nothing.

And of course he felt nothing; He didn't care about a few things that happened in _college_. Just an asshole being an asshole. It wasn't like the guy had left him in Hell or anything - if he could forgive Sam and Dean for abandoning him, then he could let Nigel off for being a little shit. Either way, Adam just didn't care for him. He hadn't then, and he didn't now. At least those feelings hadn't changed, and they showed no signs of doing so. After a moment, he shrugged.

"Yeah, okay. Cool, I guess," the demon said absently, turning to look back toward the store for a moment. Bela was definitely taking her time… Adam huffed a little, irritated, but he just shook his head and turned his attention back to Nigel, who was watching him with a silent look of intrigue. "Well, you made your presence known. You can go back to your pathetic existence."

Nigel's eyebrows shot up, equal measures impressed and pissed off. "Wow, looks like wherever you've been gave you a pair, huh?" The man narrowed his eyes, but he seemed to have taken Adam's earlier warning to mind, because he didn't advance any further.

"Yeah, Hell does that to you," Adam ground out, rolling his eyes. Yeah, he was done with this conversation. "Bye. Have fun being a loser, or whatever," he added carelessly, and with that, turned to get back in the car. And that was his first mistake, turning his back on the 'enemy', because the second Nigel decided he couldn't do anything while he was turned away, the man strode forward, gripped him by the shoulder, and made an attempt to shove him forward. And I say attempt because Adam had tensed up the second he felt Nigel touch him, and he wasn't moving an inch further unless he allowed himself to. The demon blinked, and glanced back.

"Say that again," Nigel warned, and Adam paused, just for a second, at those three words. Then, with a smile as sharp as shattered glass, and with a tone that could cut just as deeply, he turned slowly to face the man, making sure Nigel's hand stayed on his shoulder.

"I'm not fighting you, Nigel."

"That's your problem, Milligan," Nigel snorted, shoving him slightly - or, at least, attempting to, once again - before finally giving in and pulling back. "You're just a pussy ass bitch. Always have been, always will be. Maybe that's why you ran away all this time, too," he added with a sneer. "Maybe it's 'cause you're nothing but a coward."

"It's nice to see you haven't changed," Adam noted, glancing him up and down. He wasn't pissed, and he genuinely had no idea _why _he wasn't pissed. At the moment, he was more or less just annoyed, but he was definitely ready to rip this guy's hand off. Here he was, back in his hometown, face to face with one of the people he'd known oh-so long ago - someone who hated his guts, to be more exact - and you'd think he'd be feeling something, but he wasn't. Just irritated that this man had the audacity to approach him, and then try to pick a fight. But he had to admit, it was such a _Nigel _thing to do. "But your petty comments didn't faze me then and to be completely honest, they're not going to now. So do yourself a favor and walk away."

"Or _what?" _Nigel demanded, eyes darkening faintly at the thinly-veiled threat.

Adam ran his tongue over his lips, then took in a breath and leaned forward, deciding that being open was probably his best bet now. "Or I will rip your tongue out and shove it up your ass."

"Thought you weren't gonna fight me." Nigel leaned forward a little, clearly unfazed, clearly not having the slightest clue that if Adam really wanted to, he could destroy him. And he was getting close to wanting to, simply because this guy was a cocky ass fucker.

"Don't make me change my-"

"What's going on here?" Bela's voice cut into the conversation, sharp and accusing, and Adam turned his head slightly, leaning away from Nigel once again and watching the other demon approach with a faint frown on his face now. Bela spared him a glance, almost scoldingly, before turning her gaze to Nigel. "Tch, don't tell me it's a 'who's-is-bigger' argument."

Nigel spoke up before Adam could respond, sounding slightly amused now. "What, is this your bitch, Adam?" He spared the demon a glance. "Maybe you should tell her to mind her own-"

Well, needless to say, he didn't get a chance to finish.

Adam strode forward, grabbing Nigel by the front of his shirt with one hand, and shoved him backwards. Now, what he'd been intending was for the human to stumble a little. But what actually happened was that the moment Adam made contact, flames flickered to life upon the fabric, and had already begun to slowly catch onto Nigel's shirt by the time Adam had let go. The force of the shove sent the man practically flying backwards, into a car - but, at least, in doing so, the flames that had caught onto his shirt had gone out. Unfortunately for Nigel, he went slamming straight into a windshield - it was kind of like watching a giant bug get hit, except Nigel didn't explode or splatter over the glass. He kind of just slammed against it, cracked it a little, and slid down the hood and rolled onto the pavement, unconscious but breathing. The sound of the car alarm - like loud, ear-splitting sirens - echoed around the parking lot, likely already alerting anyone who hadn't already witnessed the scene themselves.

"Okay, what the actual hell?" Bela demanded, stepping forward beside him. Adam just stared, not really knowing what to say. It wasn't like he had meant to push the guy _that _hard, and to be honest he hadn't even known he was capable of such… brutal, raw strength. But he could feel it pumping now, churning through him like adrenaline coursing through his veins. He pulled his hand back a little, but didn't drop it, staring at Nigel in complete bewilderment. Whether the guy was dead or not, he didn't even know, it was hard to tell. At least until Nigel twitched, groaned, and rolled a little, only to fall still once again, still not quite awake.

Adam inhaled deeply, surprised by the rush of relief that had enveloped him. Nigel was a dick, in every sense of the word, but even then, the thought of killing a man - well, Adam could threaten it all he wanted to, but the truth was that he'd never killed anyone before, and demon or not, he didn't think it was something he could just _do _casually and walk away. He'd beat the hell out of someone, and he would keep swinging if Nigel was awake, by all means, but he was pretty sure he'd draw the line at murder. With that said, though, this was probably a good time to bail…

"... for the record…" Adam started, finally dropping his hand. "That wasn't supposed to happen."

"No, really?" Bela hissed, grabbing his arm and tugging him backwards to the car. Adam frowned, but he let her, his gaze lingering on Nigel. "Look, I don't care whether you kill people or not, but I do care about _image_, and you do realize you just made a huge scene…"

"Oops?" Adam tried, finally turning away. He spared one glance back to the man on the ground, unconscious and bloody but with people surrounding him now, as Bela opened his door for him and ushered for him to get in the car. The demon wrinkled his nose a little, but he conceded easily enough, still rather puzzled by what had just happened. Puzzled, but oddly curious. He had almost set the man on fire, too, which was definitely concerning. With just a touch, just a thought. He knew he could create fire out of nothing, as he'd seen with the torches in Hell, and the book back at Chuck's place but still, it was weird, because he'd never set any_one _on fire.

"Who was he, anyway?" Bela huffed as she moved around to the other side of the car. Rather than getting in, though, she turned to the gas pump, pulling one off of the rack and turning to fill the car up. Adam watched her through the window, wrinkling his nose at the smell. A lot stronger than it would have been if he was human. He'd always hated the smell of gas.

"Just somebody that I used to know," the demon replied vaguely, frowning. "No one important."

"Important enough for you to put him through a windshield," Bela retorted, quirking an eyebrow, and Adam made a face in response and turned to look back at the scene. But that was just it; Nigel hadn't even begun pissing him off enough until he'd started talking about… well, about Bela. Only then had the fury really kicked in, and only then had Adam actually attacked - and a lot more violently than even he had expected. The demon frowned a little to himself, but he said nothing, only looking away again when Bela had finished up and gotten back in the car. "Just do me a favor, would you?" She huffed, and Adam nodded. "Don't defend me again."

Adam paused, just for a second. Great, so she had figured it out too. No point denying it, and he already felt bad for lying to her anyway, so he just grimaced and stayed silent. He didn't even know why he had gotten so mad about what Nigel had said, but it had pissed him off. At least enough to do what he had done, and… man, he had almost killed a man. Michael wasn't gonna be too happy about that, he figured… again, oops. The demon sank back, ready to turn away again, only to pause when Bela suddenly leaned forward, stretching up slightly, and he turned back just in time as her lips hovered over his, pressing down gently and applying just the smallest amount of pressure. Not quite a kiss, but intoxicating and mesmerizing enough to take his mind off of what had just happened, at least for the time being, until she pulled away.

"I will admit, though," she added slyly, "it was a bit of a turn-on." She sank back, hardly giving Adam any time to respond before she spoke again. "Regardless, I still intend to train you how to be a demon. So, buckle up," she ordered, and he rolled his eyes a little - and, after a second thought, he actually did buckle up, because she was a crazy driver. "I didn't mean lit- whatever." Bela shook her head, starting the car up again. "There better be a good hotel…"

Adam sighed, watching her for a moment, then simply looked away again as they started to drive off. He could hear sirens in the distance, an ambulance, more than likely, and he kept his eyes focused on Nigel until the man was out of sight, until they were just driving away.

Then he looked down at his hands, frowned, and curled them both into fists. That was close. Too close. He'd almost killed someone, out of pure impulse. Just a small, split-second moment of rage. And he hadn't even been that angry recently; It was sudden, and it was brief, and it had disappeared as quickly as it had come. But maybe that was the worst kind of fury…?

… in any case, Adam had to be more careful, most definitely. And maybe this training thing would be good for him. At the very least, teach him how to control himself, and these… abilities? What would he even call them? Regardless, he definitely needed that, if nothing else. Some form of self-control, so that accidents like this didn't happen again. The demon sank back in his seat, leaning his head back a little and closing his eyes with a low, silent sigh.

Just one more thing to add to the list of things to worry about. Adam's good mood was gone; It was time to get back down to business.


	60. Chapter 60

"So, anything new in the Empty?"

Michael jumped a little as Dean fell into step with him, the archangel bristling slightly for just a second before he managed to recover. Truthfully, he'd gotten kind of used to the scares by now; It had been five days since Rowena and Crowley had showed up at Chuck's, and since they'd all started working together - minus Adam, of course - to work on the Cage. In that time, Dean had taken to popping out of nowhere in their head, giving Michael no real time to be startled before the archangel had to react. So, yes, he was a little used to the jumpscares by now, and so his answer came quickly as he continued along through the darkness, searching for a particular memory as he frowned. "No, not really. We're just trying to work out whether the sigils are working well enough to de-power him. He hasn't made any real attempt to escape yet, so I don't know if it's sapping his strength or not."

"What're you looking for now?" Dean questioned, flicking his gaze around as they walked. Michael frowned slightly to himself, shaking his head and pushing past each of the memories, drowning out the words being spoken. He had to focus here.

"When Father sealed Amara away, he locked her in something of a room filled with Enochian symbols created solely to hold her," the archangel explained, mildly frustrated. "I was able to catch a glimpse of it when we were taking her down, but I can't remember exactly what they looked like, or even how to re-create them. Amara's not much help, either," he added when Dean opened his mouth, already knowing what the hunter was about to suggest. "Father consumed the room in eternal darkness the moment she was inside, simply so that she couldn't mess with the symbols and free herself. So she doesn't have a clue what they look like."

"Damn," Dean muttered, looking a little irked now, himself. "So basically, we've got next to nothing on the Cage until you can find these symbols."

"Basically," Michael echoed with a sigh, rubbing a hand down his face. "Lucifer has something in mind he's testing out now, with the chains, but he doesn't know if it's strong enough for what we need. Billie thinks she has something," he added, frowning, "some notes the old Death left behind, she's going through them. Amara thinks it's a waste of time, but…"

"The old Death told me he'd reap God one day," Dean commented, an odd look crossing his face for a moment. Michael glanced over at him, blinking. "Hell, he might have known a little something-something. Just hope he actually _did _leave notes of it, 'cause if not, we're screwed." He grimaced, looking back over at the archangel. "So that ring that Adam said Bela was searching for- Sam and I were talking, and we figured it might be a Hand of God."

Michael blinked, trying to recount his earlier conversations with Adam. They had been able to reconnect multiple times through dreams - and were currently working on thoughts - in which Adam had described the ring Bela was searching for, one apparently holding the power of God. Honestly, Michael was surprised he hadn't put it together sooner. "Plausible…"

"And concerning, considering it's Bela who's looking for it."

"If it exists," Michael said knowingly, offering Dean an uncertain look, and the hunter grimaced slightly and nodded his agreement. "I wouldn't know, though, I never kept track back then. It's definitely possible that it's real, but why Bela would be looking for it is definitely a mystery." He looked up, fighting past another surge of memories as he continued on his way. "Adam believes it could be useful against my Father, considering it holds a fraction of his power. It's not much, but we're considering the fact that we could turn it into something of a lock and key - such as the Mark of Cain was in Amara's case, but with less… disastrous side effects."

"That's not too bad, actually," Dean commented. "The power of God to hold God."

"In theory, he should remain in a comatose state when we get him into the Empty," Michael commented, frowning. "But on the chance that he does wake up, it'd be nice to have some reassurance that he wouldn't be able to escape. He's not supposed to have any authority there, anyway, so for the most part I'm not too concerned, but regardless…"

"It'd be good to have as much leverage as we can," Dean agreed, shoving his hands into his pockets and nodding along slightly. "It's a good idea. How's Adam doing with Bela, anyway?"

"He insists he's got her occupied for the time being," Michael replied, pursing his lips. "I've still been unable to get any information out of my Father as to whether or not he sent her. I want to believe that it's just a coincidence she appeared, but I'm not too hopeful." He shook his head a little, a somewhat exhausted expression crossing his face. "Anyway, I'll keep pressing the matter regardless. And Adam's fine. He seems to miss us quite a bit, but he's handling everything rather well. I'm not surprised," he added, fondly, "he's very determined."

"You both are," Dean told him wryly, and Michael couldn't help a small smile despite himself. "Really, man, you're both handling this a lot better than I expected, considering, y'know?"

"It has to be done," Michael dismissed easily enough, though he was smiling now as he diverted his gaze downwards. "There's always time to catch up eventually, and the separation isn't going to last forever, and we know this. We're confident in the fact that we'll, at least, reunite in one way or the next one last time - whether it be in a dream or whether we can finally, physically connect again, but for now we're just focusing on the bigger picture."

Dean nodded along in understanding, pausing for a moment. "Rowena thinks she might have something in the Book. It's not much, some kind of angel power-dampening spell. She thinks she can amp it up a little to God level with the right ingredients."

"For the Cage or Chuck?"

"The Cage. Well, the chains, at least. Like the warding that sapped your archangel mojo," Dean further clarified, and Michael nodded faintly in understanding, looking thoughtful for a moment before he spoke up again, pushing past yet another stretch of memories as he struggled to dredge up the one he was searching for. It was so close, he could feel it, he just needed to find it… "If it works, we might not need the sigils right away," the hunter pressed, and Michael stopped walking for a moment, glancing over at him. "She's gotta run a few tests, though, and Chuck's not exactly a reliable test subject." He narrowed his eyes.

"Amara should be able to feel the effects, if it's strong enough," Michael offered. "I could see if she's willing to come down and be a, uh… guinea pig, as you humans often way. Lab rat?" He frowned for a moment, trying to think of the right word, while Dean just snickered.

"Both work. And that'd be great."

"Great. I'll go get her, then." Michael rolled his shoulders back slightly. He was used to the in-and-out visits of the Empty now, and Lucifer had, somewhat begrudgingly, shown him how to get himself there without dying, so he could come and go freely and carry messages for the Winchesters when the others were already busy. He didn't go often - he didn't _like _to - but he went when it was necessary, and right then it was.

"Tell Jack I said hi," Dean told him. "And tell Cas and Lucifer to hurry their asses up. I don't know how much more of Gabe and Crowley I can take, and I'm about ready to beat Chuck into the ground myself," he added, looking irritated. "And we need another archangel out there, 'cause Gabe's about to do a supply run to get what Rowena needs for the spell. Actually, that's what I came in here to get you for, but…"

"I'll pass it on," Michael couldn't help a small laugh despite himself. "Tell Gabriel not to leave yet, though. I don't like the idea of leaving you all practically defenseless with my Father."

"Yeah, I'll see how long I can keep him. Just hurry up, would you?" Dean rolled his eyes.

"I'll be as fast as I can," Michael promised, earning a satisfied nod from Dean in response, and then the hunter was gone. Taking a deep breath and holding it for a moment, and shutting his eyes tightly, the archangel retracted his Grace slightly from where it was wrapped around the hunter's soul - not quite entangled, the way he was with Adam's, but no longer keeping his distance. He and Dean had somewhat of a system now. It wasn't perfect, and it wasn't anything close to what he and Adam shared, but it was something they could both function with and without, so it was good.

He found himself face to face with the Cage when he opened his eyes. Jesse was sitting on top of it, beside Jack, who was leaning against him, his face buried into the Cambion's neck. Castiel and Lucifer were circling around the Cage; It looked somewhat bare without the chains covering it, revealing each and every symbol on the bars, which his brothers were burning off to make room for other sigils. The chains lay in a heap just a few feet away, where Amara and the Shadow stood.

"Uncle Michael!" Jack called out, pulling away from Jesse and beaming down at the archangel as he approached. Michael managed a small, somewhat hesitant smile in response to the Nephilim, but it was warm all the same. "Is everything okay?"

"More or less," Michael responded carefully, as he wouldn't quite call their current situation 'okay', considering everything, but it hadn't gotten any worse. "Dean wanted me to tell you hi, by the way," he added, and Jack's smile seemed to widen ever so slightly, if not a bit wistful, while Jesse wrapped an arm around him and smirked down at the archangel slightly. Lucifer paused his pacing and left Castiel's side to head over to his oldest brother, looking intrigued; Michael greeted him with a smaller smile, equally warm and genuine. "Hey, Luci."

Lucifer's lips twitched slightly, nudging his shoulder lightly against Michael's. "I know you didn't come all the way here just to say hello." He arched an eyebrow questioningly at his brother.

"No, not quite," Michael admitted with a sheepish grin. "I wanted to talk to Amara…" He paused, a little hesitant, but he took a deep breath and continued anyway. He had to get over his discomfort of his aunt sooner or later. "Rowena believes she has something that could render him weak enough to trap him completely, and she was wondering if Amara would be willing to test it out before we proceed. They'd use Father, but…"

"Unreliable," Lucifer snorted. "We can't tell if his powers are actually fading ourselves and he'd probably say they were just so it would backfire on us later." He shook his head a little, nodding toward Amara and the Shadow. "Well, Auntie Dearest is over there. Good luck."

Michael sighed a little, shaking his head. That last comment just put him on edge even more, but he wasn't going to say that. "Dean also wanted me to tell you and Castiel that you're needed back at the house. Gabriel's leaving on a supply run, I'm nowhere near strong enough on my own to handle Father should he escape, and Crowley seems to be getting on his nerves."

"Crowley gets on everyone's nerves," Lucifer huffed a little, rolling his eyes. He glanced back toward Castiel for a moment; The angel had paused beside the Cage, saying something to Jack, who was grinning ear to ear as he responded. After a moment, the Devil turned back to Michael, shaking his head a little bit with a reluctant frown. "I'll come on down. Give Cassie a little longer with the kid, and I guess it's my turn to babysit anyway."

Michael blinked at him, but he didn't say anything as the Devil turned away, heading back over to the others to call a quick goodbye to Jack and explain everything to Castiel. It was odd, but lately, Castiel seemed to be most of Lucifer's focus. At least, he seemed to be sacrificing more and more for the younger angel for the past few days. Letting him take his shifts in the Empty, spend more time with Jack. And spending more and more time with Castiel daily.

The archangel wasn't sure what to think of it.

After a moment, frowning, Michael shook himself from his thoughts and headed on over to where Amara and the Shadow stood, still busy burning the sigils off of the chains. The Shadow didn't look up - at least, the archangel didn't think so - but Amara's gaze snapped up to Michael so fast that he almost flinched back, an apology already rising to his tongue; He swallowed it back and took a deep breath, forcing his chin up just a little bit and managing a very faint, very hesitant and _very _shaky smile toward his aunt. "Hello, Amara… can I talk to you?"

"Nephew," Amara greeted, tilting her head and studying the archangel with an intrigued expression. After a few seconds, she put the chains down and stepped around, gesturing for the Shadow to continue on without her - which it did, without a word. Michael tensed up a bit as Amara approached him, but he didn't move away. "What do you need?"

"I don't mean to bother…" Michael started, then grimaced and took another breath. No apologies, no hesitating. He just had to be outright with it. "Rowena's found a spell she thinks she can use in order to weaken my Father a bit more. A power-dampener, as Dean called it. The only issue is they're not sure if it works, and they can't test it on my Father since he's not the most… reliable source. And we thought…" This is where he faltered, but again, he forced himself to continue on, building up the confidence. "We need you to see if it would work or not, since in terms of power, you're the closest being to my Father that we could get."

Amara raised an eyebrow at him - and then, much to Michael's surprise and relief, she just laughed and responded, "of course. It took you less time than I thought it would to spit that out, by the way. I'll be there in a moment- any idea how long this will take, or…"

"Um…" Michael shook his head a little, still dizzy with relief. "No, I don't know. All I know is that it's a spell - for the chains, actually." He glanced toward the pile, and Amara glanced back over her shoulder, nodding slightly with a thoughtful expression. "So we might need some of those, as well," he added, regaining some confidence now that she had already agreed.

"_Oh, by all means, take them," _the Shadow finally cut in - and Michael flinched, visibly - as it dropped the chains it was holding, taking on a slightly disgusted tone. "_Please."_

Amara rolled her eyes, then offered Michael a smile, much kinder than the archangel had expected, but welcome all the same. "Well, that's settled. Let's go, then, and get this over with. The sooner I can get back here, the better. And I'm definitely not looking forward to seeing my brother again…" She sighed, turning away and reaching down to pick up some of the chains. Michael watched for a moment, then turned his head to look around. Lucifer was nowhere in sight, so Michael figured it was safe to assume that he had already gone. He flicked his gaze over Jack and Jesse, who were snuggled up together on top of the Cage once again, while Castiel continued what he was doing with the sigils. "Ready to go?"

"Hm?" Michael looked up, eyes widening slightly. "Oh- sorry-" He paused, mentally kicking himself for the apology. "... sorry- I mean- _yes_," he mumbled, slightly exasperated with himself now. Amara only offered an amused, yet understanding, chuckle in response, and then she was gone, taking the chains she was holding with her. Michael stared at the empty space for a moment, then took a deep breath, let it out slowly, closed his eyes, and followed her lead.

He wrapped his Grace around Dean's soul carefully, simply filling in the spots where the hunter couldn't reach and wrapping around him like something of a blanket, protective and secure. Once he was settled, he rose up to control along with the hunter, taking a moment to adjust to the scene in front of him. Gabriel had two candy canes in his mouth and was pacing back and forth across the floor, singing - "We are outgunned, outmanned…" - while Sam was securing the chains binding Chuck to the chair, much to his Father's chagrin. Lucifer was there, as well, simply watching and instructing the hunter to make sure his hands were secure, so he couldn't 'snap' himself out of the chains. Dean was simply leaning back against the wall, watching Rowena flip through the Book while Crowley was writing something down.

Dean paused and straightened up the moment Michael took control along with him. "Welcome back. Where's-" He didn't get to finish his sentence before Amara appeared before them, fumbling slightly with the chains and looking mildly frustrated, as she seemed to have tangled herself up quite a bit. Michael blinked, mildly concerned, but before he could move to help her, Lucifer was already there and pulling the chains away himself. "Nevermind," Dean muttered.

"Hello, Dean," Amara addressed the hunter, in particular, with a smile on her face, earning a very slight, very unnerved smile from Dean in response, and Michael drew them back a few steps on instinct, watching Amara warily now.

"Amara," Chuck greeted, looking a little disappointed.

Amara mirrored his expression with ease the second her eyes flicked over to him. "Brother," she muttered, clearly displeased, and Chuck's mouth twisted into a slight frown as he sank back into the chair, looking a little nervous now. Michael, honestly, took some pleasure in that.

"Don't suppose you're here to have a cup of coffee and talk about Game of Thrones," Chuck noted reluctantly, and Amara rolled her eyes slightly. "So- _ow!" _He arched up a little bit, struggling slightly against the chains now and twisting his head a little to glare at Sam, who straightened up and quirked an eyebrow questioningly in response. "That kinda hurt, y'know!" He hissed, looking more unnerved than angry.

"Yeah. That was the point. Sit tight." Sam clasped a hand over his right shoulder and veered sharply around the chair, heading over to where Lucifer and Amara were. "He's secure."

"Good," Lucifer said smugly, looking back toward their Father. Chuck glared back at him, silent.

"'Sit tight'," Dean muttered, an amused smile tugging at his lips now as he glanced over at Sam, and even Michael couldn't help a small laugh. "Nice one, Sammy." The hunter straightened up and turned his head slightly, pausing. "Okay, so, we still need the ingredients for the spell-"

"Does that mean I can _go_ now?" Gabriel groaned, pacing over to them now. Crowley plucked up the paper he was writing on and handed it over to the archangel, looking somewhat amused.

"Yeah. Just hurry up," Dean insisted, glancing over at Chuck, who simply quirked an eyebrow back at him, an innocent smile appearing on his face. Michael narrowed his eyes a little, but he didn't say anything. Surprisingly enough, there was no anger left for his Father, no hatred or anything; Just complete and utter indifference. He felt nothing when it came to him - nothing but contempt, and, to some extent, maybe a little bit of pity. Other than that, he found that his feelings for his Father - or whatever was left - were fading day by day.

"Don't rush me, Winchester," Gabriel warned, but he sounded more amused than anything.

"Oh, but do hurry back, Gabriel," Rowena cut in, and the archangel looked over at her at once, his smile growing slightly. The witch just grinned up at him, while Crowley and Lucifer both made half-disgusted sounds in the backs of their throats and reached out for the same bottle of alcohol on the desk - which Lucifer snatched up the second he saw Crowley was reaching for, sticking his tongue out at the demon, who just narrowed his eyes.

Sam gave Lucifer a _look_, and the Devil merely shrugged.

"Yeah, fine, whatever," Gabriel sighed, and with a _whoosh_, he was gone. Michael stared at where he had been for a moment, while Amara simply retreated over to the couch, glancing down at where Castiel was still currently curled up and unconscious, still in the Empty. The archangel frowned a little, thinking back to his younger brother. He'd been spending more and more time there - which was actually starting to concern Dean, due to the deal Castiel had made with the Shadow - something Michael was still a little miffed about, but it was definitely starting to concern him, too. The archangel frowned, leaning back a little.

"So, now we just wait, huh?" Chuck spoke up idly, looking down and twisting his legs slightly against the chains with a frown. Almost immediately, Dean strode over to stop him, fists clenched to punch him - luckily though, Chuck had the sense to stop before the hunter had reached him. He scowled, sinking down slightly into the chair, and just glared up at him.

"Do everyone a favor." Dean leaned forward a little, gripping the back of the chair. "And shut your you-damned mouth, got it?" At this, Michael actually laughed a little, internally, while Chuck's mouth twisted into a smirk in response, seeming slightly amused.

"I have a question, though." Chuck leaned forward. "How's Adam doing, Mikey?"

At this, Michael visibly paused. Yes, he wasn't angry at his Father, but when it came to Adam, the archangel could go from zero to one-hundred in a heartbeat. He also didn't like the fact that Chuck had been bringing up Adam more and more with each day. At first, he'd thought it had something to do with the fact that Chuck knew he could get to Michael that way, through Adam - but as both the archangel and Dean began to think about it more and more, the unease grew just a little bit stronger. They thought back to how Chuck would dodge Michael's questions about Bela, but to how the conversation would usually always end with Chuck asking how _Adam _was doing. It honestly just confirmed the fact that he had a little more up his sleeve.

"Why would you care?" Dean asked, suddenly, and Michael blinked. It was the first time anyone had even bothered to ask Chuck why he was asking about Adam, because they'd always assumed they already knew why. In response, his Father's grin only widened, sinking back just a little more with a smug smile on his face and his eyes sparkling with pure malice.

"No reason."

"You-" Michael started, honestly getting pissed. "Why can't you just tell the _truth?" _He shoved himself away from his Father, turning away and running his fingers through his hair. Lucifer frowned a little bit, looking slightly curious now, then suddenly visibly paused, eyes going wide.

"The truth…" The Devil mumbled. "The truth- of course…" At this, almost everybody turned to face him, though Sam was the one who spoke.

"What?" The hunter's eyebrows furrowed, uncomprehending.

"Jack," Lucifer insisted, looking up. "Jack has that truth mojo, right? It could work on Chuckles over there, since he's weak enough. I mean, he should be ready, but I don't know…" The Devil shook his head a little bit, ready to step back. "I'll go check-"

"_No!" _Chuck yelled out, and Michael visibly flinched, every muscle in his body going tense with surprise. Even Lucifer seemed a little startled, but Dean had seemed to realize it before they'd even turned around. Chuck looked… well, he looked terrified. At first, Michael didn't understand - but it dawned on him quickly enough. He was _scared _of _Jack_. And, of course he was - Jack was a Nephilim, and, at full power, he could very well overpower Chuck himself… "No," Chuck continued to insist, clenching his teeth. "That's not- that's not necessary, is it? I mean…"

Michael blinked, and glanced over at Lucifer, who seemed to be thinking the same thing he was. This apparent fear of Jack could be used as leverage. "Well…" The archangel started, bringing his Father's attention back to him. "Perhaps it won't be necessary, if you tell us willingly."

Chuck stared at him, a mixture of disbelief and fury crossing his face. "I can't do _that_," his Father huffed out, "it's not- it's not _ready _yet. Telling you now would screw it up-"

"Well, fine, I'll go get Jack then and you'll tell us anyway," Lucifer hummed, and Chuck froze for a second, wide eyes flicking back and forth between his two sons. Michael narrowed his eyes in response, bringing a rush of amusement and slight pride up from Dean's end, while Lucifer just quirked an eyebrow at their Father. After a good few seconds, Chuck seemed to deduce that neither of them were bluffing, because he sank back into the chair, looking frustrated.

"Blackmail," Chuck spat, shooting a glare at Michael. "I think they're a bad influence on you."

"Better than you," Michael retorted evenly, and Dean laughed a little, bringing a faint smile to Michael's lips despite himself. Lucifer grinned, but the amusement faded again rather quickly, and Chuck continued to glance back and forth between them for a good few seconds more before he finally, and very reluctantly, gave in, a snarl curling at his lips.

"Fine, if you're asking for the spoilers, here," Chuck hissed, "there's a new villain in the making. Or at least, there _was_," he added, somewhat begrudgingly, and it took Michael a few seconds to put the pieces together. Dean visibly stiffened at the realization, though Lucifer only frowned.

"... you mean Bela, right?" Michael finally spit out, anxiety rising up in his chest, curling in his stomach, taking his breath away. "The- the villain, it's Bela?"

"Would you believe me if I said yes?" Chuck questioned, though he reacted quickly when Lucifer narrowed his eyes, stepping closer to the couch. "Fine- fine! No, the villain isn't Bela. She is helping move things along, though." He grimaced, meeting Michael's gaze with a scowl. "I mean, come on, Michael. You can't tell me Adam hasn't mentioned his _training _in your little talks, right? I mean, unless he doesn't tell you _everything_."

Michael just blinked, and frowned. Of course, the demon had told him Bela was trying to teach him how to use his powers, but Michael hadn't thought anything of it. And neither had Dean, as the hunter had taken to checking over the memories of his encounters with Adam, just to see anything the archangel might have missed. The archangel took a deep breath, leaning back. "You can't… Adam would never…"

"Well, maybe not _now_," Chuck snapped. "But the way he was heading, the direction Bela's taking him - he's a _demon_, Michael. Even with all that angel Grace squirming around in his soul, even if that Grace is protecting the last of his humanity - once Bela teaches him how to burn that part of him away completely, he'll be something nobody's ever seen before. Because he's not just a demon, you know, or even just human," his Father emphasized, "he's part _archangel_, too."

"You can't do that," Michael snarled, hands curling into fists. "You can't turn him into a villain for your own stupid, twisted enjoyment, you _can't_-" It was like Lucifer all over again, all over again…

Chuck only laughed, sitting back. "I can _do _whatever I want," he told him simply. "I'm a _writer_."


	61. Chapter 61

"We've been poking around for five days," Bela was practically growling as she sank her weight forward against the counter beside Adam, causing the demon to jump and snarl out somewhat reflexively. He still wasn't used to the way she could just pop up from behind him at the worst times, and he didn't think he'd ever really get used to the jumpscares. It's like they sparked up some kind of instinctive reaction, something desperate to attack and kill. But he pushed it down, as he so often did, and rooted his gaze to the shot of whiskey he was spinning in front of him. Without touching it, he lifted it a good few inches into the air, his finger hovering just above it, and began to twirl it around in a circle, watching, mesmerized, as it spun in the air.

"And we have _nothing_ about ghouls, or the Winchesters for that matter," Bela continued to complain, though her words halted slightly when she looked over at him. With a scowl, she reached out and put her hand over his, pausing the movements of the glass, and promptly pushing it back down onto the counter. "Need I remind you of the prying eyes?"

"Need I remind you of the prying ears?" Adam cocked his head toward her without quite looking, a small smirk making its way onto his face as he wrapped his fingers around the glass and lifted it up himself, somewhat reluctantly. "You're the one talking about ghouls and monsters in public. So I lifted a glass a few inches off of the counter - it's not like anybody's looking at what I'm drinking, are they? They're too busy giving themselves alcohol poisoning."

Bela rolled her eyes, but she let the subject drop in favor of turning the conversation back to what she was mostly concerned about. "Did you even hear a word I said?" She turned to face him, leaning sideways against the counter now. "The Winchesters aren't _here_, Adam."

"That's not my problem," Adam defended, finally flicking his gaze back to her. "This is where they said they'd be. Minnesota. I brought you to Minnesota. So if they've already wrapped up the case and took the tornado back to Kansas, not my problem," he emphasized, offering her the glass. "Just relax, have a drink. That _is _why we're here, isn't it?" He implored her, frowning.

"We were here to ask around," Bela told him, pushing the glass back toward him with a scowl and leaning back. "Not to 'relax and have a drink'. And we ought to be leaving," she added, turning her head to glance around. "Nobody here is of any use. Especially you…" She groaned, a strangled sigh escaping her lips, as she rested her chin in one hand, elbow propped up against the counter as her lips pulled into a grimace.

"Wow. Thank you," Adam told her dryly, looking away again to catch the bartender's gaze, and waving him over at once. "Something strong for my friend here, she's having a rough day."

"I don't need-" Bela cut off and let out another half-strangled sigh, slamming her hand down onto the counter and giving Adam a sharp glare as the bartender swept himself away to get the requested drink. "I don't _need _a drink, and it's not going to work for me, anyway, you insufferable fool. I swear…" She shook her head a little, then simply turned away and leaned backwards against the counter, pulling her phone out and shifting her attention to it instead.

Adam stifled a sigh, watching her for a moment. Bela's mood seemed to deteriorate by the day; She was getting more and more anxious, and much more impatient. For the moment, she seemed to believe Adam's claims that he truly didn't know where the Winchesters were if they weren't in Minnesota, but he wasn't sure how long he would be able to keep this up. Not even because he wasn't confident in his abilities to lie to her now, but because he didn't know how much he wanted to anymore. Honestly, at this point, he was wondering what the point was - why not just tell her everything and get it over with already, see how she reacted? He didn't want to fight her, but with as much as he'd learned already, he figured he might be able to take her if she did attack him. At least to defend himself, anyway. But even then… he wanted to _save _her.

He just hoped there was something left to save…

Adam twisted his mouth a little, slowly pulling his hand away from the glass. It hovered in the air, even long after he had set both of his hands down onto the counter, and he watched it with wide eyes as it lifted higher and higher until it was eye level. He inhaled, rather sharply, once it was directly in front of him, his blue eyes widening even further. It still amazed him, to be completely honest, his own abilities. The things he could _do_ \- every bit of it was intriguing, and exciting. Every new power he learned about… he was just so eager to show them off. He certainly couldn't wait to reunite with Michael in the real world to be able to show him.

He lifted the glass to his lips and downed it without touching it, then carefully lowered it back into the counter, cracking a grin and looking over at Bela. The other demon wasn't paying attention now, simply busy staring at her phone, and Adam's smile twisted into a frown, just for a second, before a mischievous smirk lit his face; With a flick of his wrist, he spun the phone out of her grip and sent it spiraling through the air toward him instead, catching it with ease.

Bela looked startled, just for a second, before she spun around to face him, practically fuming. "How _dare_ y-" She stopped, abruptly, however, blinking, and leaned back on her feet for just a second; Adam wasn't paying attention now, busy scrolling through the phone to see what she was doing, somewhat curious and yet not caring at the same time. It wasn't anything of interest - it looked like she was simply searching for grave robberies in the area, something she had explained was linked to a ghoul hunt; So he only hummed, disinterested once more, and glanced up. Bela was just staring at him, looking interested now. "You're getting better."

"I know, right?" Adam's grin widened slightly, his excitement surging right back up. There was no doubt about it, the demon was actually rather proud of his own abilities now. He could do things that he could only ever _dream _of as a human. He could set things on fire with just a thought, move things without _touching _them… He grinned a little, offering her phone back to her.

"Thank you," Bela huffed, taking it back and eyeing him with a faint frown on her face now. "But the next time you take my phone like that, better or not, I will bash your head into a wall. Got it?" She offered him a sweet smile, to which Adam only grinned, looking away.

"Sure." He watched as the bartender slid a glass of whiskey over to Bela, a large glass filled to the rim. Bela sighed a little, staring at it almost blankly for a moment; And, when she made no move to grab it, Adam just snickered and reached over to take it for himself, downing half of it in one go before he put it back down on the counter in front of her. "Well, I guess if you're not enjoying yourself, we can go," he gave in, somewhat reluctantly now. "No sense being here if you're not having any fun, right? So, c'mon, we'll go sit in the hotel room for hours looking for something that's probably not there because the Winchesters obviously aren't here anyway."

"Wonderful," Bela replied simply, obviously pleased by that despite what Adam was saying, and the demon couldn't help but laugh a little bit to himself. He should have known that wouldn't work on her anyway, he knew her well enough by now - at least, in some regards. "Let's go." She spun around and headed straight for the exit without another word, and Adam stifled a sigh, picking up the glass and downing the rest of it himself before he turned and headed after her, not bothering to leave a tip - nobody would notice anyway, right? Besides, he didn't have money.

It was weird, how used to this he had gotten suddenly. Well, somewhat used to it, at the very least. Interacting with humans, he could still do without, but for the most part, in the past five days he'd actually been fitting in quite well. It was easy to act like he was still one of them, even though he wasn't - because he still _felt _like them, maybe? Even Adam wasn't sure. But, either way, he could still do without having to interact with anybody - except Bela, of course.

On the way to the car, though, a familiar voice snapped Adam back to the present. There was no startled jolt, no jump, no surprise; He was used to hearing Michael in his head, even after so long apart, so he just continued on like nothing had happened. _Adam, _the archangel sounded anxious, clearly not expecting any sort of response - it had been this way for a while. One of them could manage to break through the connection and talk to the other, but they could never hold it long enough to be able to actually hold a conversation. _Adam, I need to talk to you._

_Michael? What is it? _Adam pressed, prodding carefully at the connection; No response, much to the demon's dismay. He got in the car, scowling, just as anxious now; Hell, he could feel Michael's anxiety and confusion like it was his own, all the way from the archangel's end, and it wasn't helping matters by any means. He slammed the door shut, clenching and unclenching his fists. Falling asleep in a car was difficult for him, but not quite impossible. With that said, though, he would much rather wait until they got to the motel room so that they'd have a little more time to talk. He shuddered a little as he clicked his seatbelt into place, heart pounding.

_Adam, it's my Father. We know what he's planning._

The demon froze, not looking up as Bela got into the car. The anxiety radiating from the archangel wasn't helping by any means. He had to be extra cautious now; One little slip up could crash it all down. But he knew one thing, he certainly couldn't wait until they were back at the hotel. He had to know this, and he had to know this now.

Adam exhaled and sank back in the seat, closing his eyes as Bela turned on the radio and began flipping through. It took a while, and a lot of anxious squirming, honestly too nervous to even begin thinking of falling asleep; But he finally managed to, eventually, forcing past all his worries and bringing himself right back to the dream he and Michael often connected in. The park. The demon took a few steps forward and turned to look around - he didn't have to search for long, it was hard to miss Michael pacing back and forth in front of the swings, fingers tangled into his hair, eyes wild and desperate and afraid. As if Adam wasn't concerned enough.

"Michael," he called out to his friend, trying to ignore the way Michael visibly flinched and jumped away from him as he approached, only to relax a second later. "What's going on?" Adam demanded, shoving his hands into his pockets as he finally reached the archangel. "What's Chuck planning?"

Michael hesitated, and Adam reeled back slightly despite himself; There shouldn't be any kind of hesitation between them, and kind of reluctance. What needed to be said _needed _to be said and that's the way they had always been around one another, and Adam couldn't imagine it changing now. Their relationship practically thrived on honesty, after all. Even if it was about Bela and even if it wasn't what Adam wanted to hear, he needed to hear it, he needed to know. So Michael's hesitance didn't make any kind of sense. "_Michael_," the demon insisted. "Seriously."

The archangel offered him a half-desperate look, and Adam understood at once; He was hesitating, not because he didn't want to tell the demon, but because he didn't want to know what he knew in the first place. He was hesitating because saying it aloud would make it real, and Michael didn't want it to be real. And that, right there, that was something Adam understood. But he also understood that if it was that important, then he needed to know. "Look, it's…" The archangel finally forced the words out, sounding like his throat was closing up, choking on the words he wanted to say. "You have to stop… stop using your powers."

Adam stared at him for a moment, almost waiting for the punchline, but Michael was dead serious. The demon leaned back a little bit, bewildered and a little more than miffed by that. Stop using his powers? _Why_ the hell would he have to stop using his powers? And what did that have to do with anything. "I- okay, why?" He demanded, staring at Michael.

"Because that's what he wants," Michael told him, sucking in a deep breath and swallowing hard before he continued, "he's using you- he wants _you _to be the next villain. Using your powers, you- you're burning off what's left of your humanity and Adam, I know you don't like that part of you but what you could become if- if you don't _stop-"_

"Slow _down_," Adam interrupted, taking a few steps away from him now and running his fingers through his hair. It was already enough to process without Michael having a panic attack. "Just- just slow down, alright? Take it from the top, what do you mean he wants me to be the villain?"

Michael bit his lip, silent for a moment, and Adam raised his eyebrows slightly. Finally, though, the archangel took a deep breath and nodded, pushing past his own hesitance and taking a few steps closer to the demon. "We finally got my Father to talk," he started. "And he- he said that he planned for you to become the villain. By burning off the rest of your humanity, so that Bela could- could train you to use your powers and go up against the Winchesters. He wants you to kill them," he told Adam desperately, while the demon only blinked, eyebrows furrowing. "Brother versus brothers."

"You're kidding," Adam uttered, completely disbelieving now. The part about Bela and his powers and burning off the last of his humanity slipped right past him, focusing right on the fact about Chuck wanting him to kill Sam and Dean. "Well, shit- he should've done something about that while I still wanted to kill them, then," he commented, and couldn't help but laugh a little at the expression on Michael's face. "I'm kidding! Come on, Michael, you don't think I'd actually have fallen for all of that anyway, right? I'm smarter than that. You know this."

"What…" Michael shook his head a little, obviously bewildered. "Adam, we- we're talking about _God _here. He turned Lucifer into a villain, he- he-"

"I'm not Lucifer," Adam reminded him, blinking. He genuinely didn't understand why Michael was so upset about this. Which was odd, considering the demon _should _know him better than he even knew himself. But right then, he was at a loss. "Halo, come on. _We _have warning, 'kay? Lucifer didn't. We know his plans, we can avoid them, right?" He pressed, and Michael just shook his head a little, running his fingers through his hair and turning away from the demon, further increasing Adam's confusion. "Dude. I'm not a villain."

"You're not exactly a hero either, okay?" Michael mumbled, pressing his face into his hands. Adam reeled back a little bit at that, just for a second, eyes widening slightly. Sure, he had insisted the same thing, and multiple times at that, but coming from Michael, it actually hurt. The demon opened and closed his mouth, not really knowing what to say.

"Okay…" Adam licked his lips, taking a deep breath and holding it for a moment. "Maybe not."

"I didn't- I didn't mean-" Michael pressed a hand over his mouth as he turned back to Adam, raising his other hand and reaching out for the demon slightly. Adam glanced down at his hand, but he didn't move, honestly still stunned by what the archangel had said. "You know what I meant, r- right? I meant- you just- Adam, you get so angry so easily, and if- if you actually burn off what's left of your humanity, you could- you could become… I just meant…"

"I know what you meant," Adam interrupted, shaking his head a little bit. He did, at least he wanted to. A part of him still felt kind of hurt, but he pushed past that for the time being. There were more important things to focus on. "I know what you meant," he repeated himself, as Michael dropped his hand, looking helpless now. "But you're worrying over _nothing_. I'm fine."

Michael opened his mouth as if to protest to that, but the sound seemed to stick in his throat. Instead, swallowing hard, he took a few steps toward Adam, and the demon didn't move, simply watching as the archangel approached, and finally lifting his hands to Michael's when he reached out for him again, allowing the archangel to twine their fingers together, gripping his hands tightly and pulling Adam forward, just a little bit, nothing but worry in his eyes as he leaned forward to come face to face with the demon. "I've only ever asked you for one thing," he told him, shakily, as Adam only blinked. "One thing, Adam, and I've never asked anything of you since. But I am asking now- I am _begging _you to please, _please_, listen to me."

Adam stared back at him through wide eyes, feeling the lump already forming in his throat in response to Michael's terror. It was just too strong, too real, and the pain and desperation in those wide, pleading eyes struck something, a memory from oh-so long ago, when Michael had asked him for permission to possess him. He saw it now, the archangel he had seen so long ago. And just like before, he found himself unable to turn him away. "Okay," he breathed, shaking his head a little bit. "I- I still think you're worrying for nothing but- I'm listening."

Michael's grip tightened around his hands, squeezing softly, grateful and relieved. Adam found himself squeezing back slightly, simply to ensure the archangel that he was there, and, as he had promised, he was listening. "Father told me something," Michael started, pulling back, and Adam crossed his arms over his chest when the archangel finally released his hands. "He told me that you're not just… you're not _just _a demon, or a human. He said you're part… angel, too."

Oh, the things Adam wanted to say to that. But he kept his mouth shut, eyebrows furrowed, just listening, as he'd promised Michael that he would. And he was listening - hanging onto every word. Because he could lie to Bela and his brothers and he could even make promises he knew he couldn't keep when it came to them, but to Michael, there was no promise he wouldn't keep. However big, however small, when Adam made him a promise, he intended to keep it.

"Adam, that kind of power is dangerous even for someone who knows how to control their temper," Michael continued, a little desperately now. "I love you like a brother and you know how much I care about you, but you also know that you- you can be kind of a hothead, Adam. And I'm not there, to help or to stop you if something goes wrong, if you end up burning off the rest of your humanity - then what's there- what's there to keep you from doing something you would regret? What's there to…" The archangel screwed his eyes shut and swallowed.

Adam ran his tongue over his lips again, a little uncertain now, then took in a breath and finally spoke up, when he was sure Michael couldn't continue anymore. "You said I'm part angel," he told Michael carefully, and the archangel nodded, not opening his eyes. "That has to mean something, man, more than just an extra boost of power," he insisted, staring at Michael. "And isn't that a pretty big _if _on whether I burn off the rest of my humanity or whatever, anyway? Look- I've been controlling myself just fine. I have. I think I can handle this."

Michael didn't respond, but he blinked his eyes open and stared at him, still desperate, still uncertain. No words were spoken, though, and, figuring he might be getting closer to convincing the archangel he was fine, Adam took a few steps forward. "Michael. You trust me, don't you?" He insisted, meeting the archangel's gaze. "Hell, look at us. Even when we're apart, you're still a part of me, and I'm still a part of _you_. Do you really think any part of you could be bad?" Michael didn't respond, so Adam continued, "do you think any part of _me _could be bad?"

"No!" Michael insisted, so loud, so abrupt, that Adam actually flinched a little, more out of surprise than anything. And he flinched, once again, when Michael abruptly turned back to him and grabbed him by the shoulders, pushing him back a little and holding on tightly as he held the demon at arm's length, looking him in the eyes. "I don't want to _lose you, Adam!"_

"You _won't-_" Adam protested, eyes wide, genuinely shaken. Not by the archangel's words, but his actions, his desperation, his insistence. He was terrified. Genuinely terrified. And to be honest, he was starting to scare Adam a little bit, too.

"No, you don't _know _that-" Michael cut off, abruptly, with a short, choked sob; And that was it. He seemed to break, right then and there, the dam crashing down and the waves flooding through. "I lost- I lost Lucifer and I lost Gabriel and I lost _everybody _to him, Adam and I can't- I can't go through that again I can't _do _it I can't lose _you _to him too, I-" He cut off again, with another sob, gripping Adam's shoulders even tighter now as a rush of tears flooded his eyes, a few finally escaping; And the demon just watched, pupils shrinking, eyes widening. He'd seen Michael at his worst, but he'd never seen him like this. But now he understood.

He understood all too well.

"Michael…" Adam's voice wavered, but he forced past it, the lump that had risen in his throat, the tears that were brewing in his eyes. He pushed it down, and reached out, pushing Michael's hands off of his shoulders. But only to grab the front of his shirt and pull him forward into a hug, which the archangel accepted, somewhat desperate in his movements, practically throwing his arms around Adam and burying his face into the demon's shoulder. Adam just took a deep breath and leaned his head against Michael's, rubbing his shoulder with one hand and digging his fingers into Michael's shirt with the other. "I promise you, you will never, ever lose me."

"You don't-" Michael began, voice muffled, shaking, desperate and afraid.

"I _do_," Adam cut him off, tightening his grip slightly. "Michael, I do. Look at me." He pulled back, keeping his hands on the archangel's shoulder this time, and tilting his head slightly to get Michael to look at him. The archangel met his gaze, somewhat reluctantly, as Adam continued. "Buddy, this is forever. You and me. Adam and Michael. Michael and Adam. The archangel and the demon. There is nothing - _nothing _that will ever remotely be the same to what we have, and demon or not, humanity or _not_, I'll always know that. _You'll _always know that. And that will be enough - it has to be, halo. It's all we got now, y'know? You and I. And it's all we _need_."

Michael didn't answer for a moment, still shaking slightly. Then, finally, after a moment, he threw himself forward and buried his face into Adam's shoulder again, choking out another muffled sob as he pulled the demon into a hug, and Adam wrapped his arms around him again, staring ahead almost blankly for a moment. He hated it, how broken Michael was sometimes, so obviously damaged and torn and ripped apart by everything he'd been through. It showed, especially now, just how much he really did need _someone_. It had been Lucifer, and then it had been Chuck, and now it was Adam. But the only difference was that Adam had no intention of letting Michael down the way everyone else had. Because god _dammit_, Michael deserved so much better than that, and the demon was going to make sure he got what he deserved.

He pressed his mouth into Michael's shoulder and mumbled out a quiet, "I love you too, by the way." Michael, again, was silent; But he relaxed into Adam's arms after that, and his shaking slowly stopped, the sobs receding to soft sniffles, and then dissolving completely into nothing more than quiet, unsteady breaths. "I'm gonna be fine," the demon continued quietly. "Y'know, I got my emotional support angel, huh? You're not gonna let me go dark side. Hell, all you gotta do is flash me those puppy eyes and say please, that gets me every time, you know that."

"Adam…" Michael whined, but he huffed out a soft, somewhat shaky laugh in response to Adam's words, bringing a quiet smile to the demon's lips for a moment. There we go; Now, with that out of the way, they could get back to talking business. Adam took a deep breath, staying where he was for a moment before he pulled away again, watching Michael rub his arm over his eyes furiously to clear away the tears that had brewed. The demon just watched, waiting, quiet. "I'm sorry," the archangel exhaled shakily, wrapping his arms around himself.

"First off, don't ever apologize to me again. Seriously," Adam told him, eyes narrowing faintly, and a shaky smile made its way to Michael's face in response. "That includes apologizing for apologizing. Second off, I get it. I really do, I promise." He softened a little, his expression smoothing out again. "But we have an advantage over Chuck. We know what he's planning. This isn't like it was with Lucifer, and we have each other. I can handle this. Not alone, obviously - but I'm not alone, am I?" He gave Michael a pointed look, and the archangel nodded.

"Of course," Michael mumbled, clearing his throat. "Always."

"Okay." Adam sighed, closing his eyes for a moment, and frowned, finally registering the other part of Michael's explanation - Bela. "... so Bela really is working for him, huh?" The demon blinked his eyes open again, and one look at the guilty, sympathetic look on Michael's face was enough of a confirmation. Adam frowned for a moment, looking down, then twisted his mouth slightly. "What, uh- what exactly did he say… regarding her?"

"Not much," Michael responded uncertainly. "He said that she wasn't the villain, but that she- she was- helping you become one. That's why she's teaching you how to use your powers," he explained, rubbing his arm, and Adam frowned. "Guiding you along."

"... God, that _bitch_," Adam swore, turning away and running his fingers through his hair, staring down. He waited for the anger, fury, but none came. Just an odd sense of regret, and some shame, for even allowing himself to get close to her in the first place. He'd known this was a possibility, and he had no one else to blame but himself for letting her get so close. But to believe he could actually save her - Adam couldn't believe he was so stupid… He shook his head a little, growing more pissed at himself than anything, and turned his head slightly when he felt Michael place a hand on his shoulder, soft and grounding, enough to bring him back to his senses. The demon took a deep breath and tilted his head back a little, looking up at the sky.

"I'm sorry," Michael told him quietly. "I… I was hoping you were right."

After a moment, Adam only shook his head and looked away, but he didn't shrug Michael's hand off just yet. His mouth twisted slightly, frowning deeply, before he cleared his throat and spoke up again. "Listen, I, uh… I'm gonna leave her. I just wanna talk to her first."

"Is that a good idea?" Michael asked tentatively, and Adam grimaced.

"I don't really have a choice. But I _do _have a few choice words I'd like to say to her before I get back to you guys. Either way, she's gonna know what I know," the demon muttered. "Besides, it'd be a nice way to confirm it anyway." He shook his head a little at himself. Any hope that Bela could be saved now had been completely diminished, the confirmation that Chuck had sent her being the last thread he could hold onto as far as she was concerned.

Michael frowned a little, a new thought coming to mind. "How do you plan on getting back to us?" He questioned hesitantly, and Adam paused, glancing over at him. "I can come get you," the archangel added quickly, before the demon could really respond, and Adam frowned.

"I don't know about that," he said carefully, his frown deepening further. "I mean, if you're not at full strength- it's probably not a good idea…" He started.

"Amara's back at Chuck's house," Michael cut in, eyes widening slightly as he leaned back on his feet, looking thoughtful. "I can get back there and- and maybe see if she can bring me back to full power and then come and get you. Where are you staying?" He stared at the demon, and Adam frowned a little bit, studying him somewhat uncertainly now. Of course, more than anything, he wanted Michael back, and having the archangel come get him would be better than having to find his way back to Chuck's… but he was still worried about Michael's powers, and him pushing himself more than he should. But, with the promise of the archangel getting back to full power - Adam could only hope that he wouldn't push himself too far, and that he'd be okay. He had to trust him.

"Well, like I said, I'm staying in Minnesota," Adam sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't remember the name of the hotel, though, so…" Michael frowned, looking thoughtful.

Then, all of a sudden, Michael's expression lit up, spinning around and heading off. Adam stared after him, bewildered, for the longest time before he managed to follow after him. "What the hell, man?" He demanded when he finally caught up, keeping pace with the archangel, a mixture of bewildered and concerned.

"The park," Michael insisted, abruptly spinning around and looking up, wide eyes scanning the sign hanging up over the entrance to the park. Adam blinked, then paused and turned, lifting his head and scanning the sign, himself, as the archangel turned back to him. "You still know where it is, right? Like, how to get to it?" He asked anxiously, and Adam could only nod in response, still too confused to speak. "I can meet you here, then!"

Adam blinked at him, then looked back at the sign, then toward the rest of the park. He hadn't set foot in the park since he was… well, really, really little. Except in his own memories, and in his own dreams, of course, but that didn't really count. Still, he was more than willing to go back if it meant meeting up with Michael again. The thought brought a smile to his face, and a rush of relief flooded over him, swelling up in his chest. "Okay," he agreed, short and simple.

"You'll be okay?" Michael pressed, his excitement fizzling out to anxiety.

"I think I can handle myself against the crazy hot demon chick. At the very least, I'll admit defeat and run away or something," Adam huffed out a laugh, though there was no humor in his voice, nor in the situation. "I'll be okay," he promised, studying Michael intently. "Will you?"

"He'll be fine."

Michael jumped, visibly, and cringed back slightly in surprise; Adam only jumped for a second before he reacted, more to Michael being scared than anything, and whirled around with a snarl already on his face to see who was there, lips curled back, teeth bared, and eyes dark and murderous; However, who he saw stopped him short; It was none other than his brother, Dean Winchester, approaching them with a look of mild amusement written across his face.

"Put your claws away, it's just me," he told Adam, while the demon just glared, pissed - but more so at the fact that Dean had the gall to enter their dream and interrupt them like he belonged there, which he certainly didn't. The demon's mouth twisted into a scowl, stepping closer to Michael and turning to make sure he was okay; Surprisingly enough, the archangel seemed to recover faster than Adam had expected him to, placing a hand on Adam's shoulder again - this time in more of a calming, 'stand down' gesture, like he used to. Needless to say, Adam relaxed.

"Didn't mean to interrupt. Kinda fell asleep accidentally." Dean shrugged a little, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Couldn't help but overhear this, though. Listen, Adam- don't underestimate Bela. She's not just a chick. She's a crazy chick. And now that she's a demon, I'm sure she's ten times crazier. So seriously, be careful. Just get away. We'll take care of Bela when we regroup, alright?"

"Don't tell me what to do, Winchester," Adam snapped back, still scowling, and Dean gave him an odd look in response, looking mildly hurt by that, and definitely just a little miffed that his advice had been brushed aside. Michael offered a soft squeeze to the demon's shoulder, and, with a sigh, Adam relaxed into the touch again, looking away. "Yeah, fine, whatever. I'll try not to provoke her into attacking me, at least," he grumbled.

"Good." Dean turned his attention back to Michael. "If you're gonna get Amara to amp you up, you better do it fast," he advised. "They just finished with the testing, so she's about to leave."

Michael frowned a little, obviously disappointed, but he nodded at the oldest Winchester in response before turning back to Adam. "Be careful," he pleaded. "Make it back to the park in one piece, okay? I really don't want to have to kill a demon today, but I will." He paused a little at his own words, as did Adam, both surprised and impressed, while Michael just offered a sheepish little smile. "... I mean, um… you know. Just, be safe. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay." Adam shook his head a little. "You, too, asshole."

Michael simply pulled him into another hug in response, and Adam hugged back just as tightly, squeezing slightly, just as desperate to be close. The thought of reuniting with him again was still stuck in the demon's mind; He wanted to get this whole thing with Bela over with to get back to the archangel as fast as he could. He couldn't save her, but he didn't want to hurt her. The best he could do is try and get away, so that's what he was gonna do.

The archangel frowned a little, pulling away from him. "Maybe telling her everything isn't such a good idea?" He offered, giving the demon an uncertain look. Adam blinked, a little bewildered - Michael shouldn't have been able to hear that, considering how strained the connection was already, and how much trouble they were already having with thoughts anyway. But he wasn't about to protest - if anything, he welcomed it with open arms, but he knew what he had to do.

"No, I'm done lying," Adam muttered. "Hell, maybe I can still talk some sense into her- I don't know, but I do know I'm done with all the lies and the secrecy. It's _exhausting_." He glanced over at Dean and wrinkled his nose. "I don't know how you and Sam do it."

"Hey-" Dean objected, looking a little offended now. But he couldn't seem to think of anything to refute that with, so he just fell silent, frowning.

Adam rolled his eyes and looked back up at Michael, ignoring the look the archangel was giving him. "Just stating the truth," he muttered, and sighed, pulling away from the archangel completely. "Okay, okay, let's just get this over with. The sooner we're back to normal, the better," he added pointedly, looking at Michael, who nodded vigorously in agreement.

"I'll see you soon," the archangel promised, and Adam's lips twitched.

"Soon," Adam agreed, then spared Dean a glance and wrinkled his nose again. "Get the fuck outta our heads, Winchester." Ignoring the - admittedly, laughing - protest from Michael, the demon just pulled back and offered them a mocking salute, catching Michael's gaze for just a second, and offering a quiet, soft smile. Michael grinned back in response, warm and genuine.

Adam focused on that smile, wanting it to be the last thing he saw before he woke up.

For a moment, the demon just looked out the window, blinking rapidly as he fought to bring his mind back to the present. He wasn't sure if he was ready for this confrontation; A part of him had seen it coming, but he had still been holding onto the hope that she was oblivious, because that would certainly make saving her easier. But maybe if he played his cards right, maybe there was still a chance for her. But Adam knew he couldn't be like Michael anymore, he couldn't let the hope sway him now. He had to be himself, he had to be open and blunt and get it over with. Adam took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, clearing his throat.

"Morning," Bela's voice was cheerful, amused. "I thought I'd let you sleep considering you didn't get any last night." Her tone changed a little, an edge of laughter entering her voice, but Adam only exhaled sharply and shook his head a little at himself, rubbing a hand down his face.

"How long until we get back to the hotel?"

"About fifteen minutes, give or take," Bela replied smoothly, sounding a little confused now, but definitely still amused. "Why?"

Adam didn't reply for a moment, staring out the window, then narrowed his eyes faintly and turned back to look at her. "I lied to you," he responded simply. "The Winchesters were never in Minnesota to begin with. I lied to you to keep you away from them. 'Cause, you see, I figured you were angry enough to want revenge, and I wasn't about to lead you to my brothers."

For a long time, Bela just stared at him, a myriad of emotions raging across her face. It settled on shock - _genuine _shock, which took Adam by surprise for a good few seconds. But it also offered a rush of hope, because maybe there still was a chance. "... beg pardon?"

Adam inhaled sharply, held it for a good few seconds, and let it out slowly. Okay, so he had to be careful here, in so many different ways. Keep in mind the fact that she could be playing him, but also the fact that she could be innocent. The demon looked back out the window for a moment, more than anxious to get out of the car now, to tell her everything and hopefully gain the truth from her end, too. Steady, careful, he couldn't blow this. Not now.

"Uh, yeah," the demon muttered, taking another deep breath. "I'm… a Winchester."


	62. Chapter 62

Nothing much had changed when Michael returned - well, at least, it wasn't quite noticeable at first. Like the way Chuck was glaring at practically everything in sight while Rowena hovered over him, hands raised, murmuring softly to herself. Beside her, Crowley stood, reading off of a piece of paper and sounding about as bored as he could possibly get. Then, of course, there was Lucifer; The Devil was pacing back and forth on the other side of the room, behind the desk. Gabriel was leaning over the back of the couch, where Castiel and Amara sat; the angel hadn't moved, but he was awake now, blue eyes staring blankly at nothing in particular while Amara busied herself with the chains wrapped around her wrists, lightly easing herself out of them - with Sam's help - as Dean pushed them up out of the armchair with a grunt.

From the moment they stood, Michael could sense something was off. He wasn't sure what, not at first, but he knew it was something. He turned his head to the side and scanned the room, trying to figure it out, but ultimately, he just couldn't. The archangel's mouth twisted into a frown, but he allowed Dean to turn them away for the time being, pacing over to the desk to grab a bottle of beer. Rowena's gaze flickered up toward them for a second, but she continued what she was doing - though both she and Crowley jumped back a little when Chuck abruptly jerked at the chains, for no reason in particular - at least not one they could grasp - only to sink back again with a scowl. Michael stared at his Father, growing more and more unnerved.

Yes, something was off - but, Michael reminded himself, he had more to worry about.

"Um, Amara…" The archangel started, a little quietly at first, but rapidly gaining confidence as he continued on. There was no time for stuttering, no half-stammered, apologetic requests, and Michael recognized that now more than ever. This was more important than sugarcoating, and if he appeared blunt, then he'd have to deal with it later. There were too many things at stake here for him to succumb to the submissive, uncertain anxiety that dictated most of his life. "Do you think it would be possible for you to bring me back to full power?" He turned his gaze to his aunt, who leaned forward a little, looking intrigued. "I need to go get Adam, but I'm too weak now."

"I can definitely try." Amara cocked her head to the side and leaned sideways a little, propping one arm up over the arm of the couch and frowning slightly at him now. "I've never tried to amp up an angel before, but I'll do my best." She beckoned him over, and Michael exhaled sharply and turned. Dean set the beer aside for now, considering the fact that he didn't know how this process might go, and there was a good chance he could end up dropping it anyway. The hunter cracked his knuckles as they walked over to Amara, mumbling something about Michael being "super-charged" again - though he didn't seem wary, or afraid. Just… intent. Focused.

"You're going to get Adam?" Sam addressed them carefully as he leaned over the back of the couch beside Gabriel, giving Michael an intrigued stare while Amara stood to face them, rubbing her hands together. Lucifer halted his pacing and turned toward them, as well, a tiny hint of relief flickering through his deep blue eyes for a moment. Michael didn't notice immediately, but Chuck's eyes seemed to darken faintly in response, watching them quietly. "What happened?"

"Yes, he's going to try to get away from Bela. He was… most unhappy to hear about her betrayal in particular." Michael frowned a little, recalling the expression on Adam's face. It was the closest he could come to a heartbreak, considering everything, and the archangel didn't like it one bit. He didn't like that this demon was hurting his friend, and he didn't like the possibility that she could hurt him even more. "Hopefully he'll be able to handle himself against her, at least long enough to get away so I can go get him. I can't meet him at the hotel he's staying at, so we decided on the park his mother-" He cut off with a jolt and a gasp when Amara suddenly reached out and placed a hand on his forehead. He cringed, violently, and leaned back.

"It's okay," Amara assured him, leaning forward along with him to keep her hand steady on his head, and it took the archangel a few seconds to actually relax. "Keep talking," she advised.

"I- um… sorry." Michael swallowed, hard, and closed his eyes for a moment. "Anyway, we're going to meet at the park his mother used to take him to, granted he can get away from her. I might be able to track him from there if not, though, if I'm powerful enough… Just hope I won't have to." Even with his eyes shut, he could see the light flashing through his eyelids, the glow of her hand upon his head. But even as it stayed, and as that light burned brighter and brighter, there was nothing. He felt exactly the same - hell, in a way, he almost felt worse.

"I don't…" Amara sounded bewildered, and, after a moment, she pulled back. Michael blinked his eyes open at once, looking up at his aunt in confusion, while Amara only twisted her mouth into a frown and dropped her hand, the golden glow beginning to dim quite a bit as she stared at him with a genuinely perplexed expression. Lucifer eased himself up beside Gabriel, both of his younger brothers wearing identical expressions of confusion and concern as Amara's frown deepened, taking a step back from Michael. "I can't do it. You're not… it's…" She gestured to him, just increasing the archangel's bewilderment, until she explained, "you're not _whole_."

Michael's heart, along with most of his hope, plummeted at that moment.

Of course; He _wasn't _whole. He would never be whole, completely, until he got Adam back. Even being here with Dean, his true vessel, there was so much missing. The demon really _was _a part of Michael, through and through, his _true _vessel despite it all and a genuine, actual part of his very soul, a part of his _Grace_. And it made sense that, with that part missing, Amara would be unable to help him. It made even more sense, the realization that he hadn't been getting any stronger with Dean. If anything, Michael realized, he'd been getting… weaker.

"Motherfucker," Lucifer swore, dropping his head into his hands. Michael blinked a few times, drawn from his thoughts, and looked over at his younger brother; The Devil was silent now, after that, but his knuckles had turned white as he gripped at his hair and the sides of his head. Beside him, Gabriel shifted slightly to the side to rest a hand on Lucifer's back, but their brother offered no reaction to the attempt at comfort, just shook his head a little and sank his weight forward against the back of the couch, a visibly exhausted expression replacing the frustration.

Studying him intently now, Michael didn't think he'd ever seen his brother so _tired_, in more ways than one. And as much as he would have loved to sit Lucifer down and talk to him for the first time in days - actually _talk _to him about what was going on and whether or not he was okay, he knew there were still more important matters at hand. Not to say his brother wasn't important; He was, and Michael loved him, always had and always would. But then there was Adam, and there was more at stake on his end, much more to lose. Lucifer could wait, for now.

Of course, this still sparked up a myriad of new problems.

Michael ran his fingers through his hair, ripping his gaze away from his brother and staring down at the floor for a moment. There was nothing to say right then, not really, until any of them had an idea, and Michael was at a loss. He could, maybe, send Lucifer and Gabriel to retrieve the demon instead, but would that take too long? Would they even know where to go? The archangel rubbed a hand over his mouth and closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. If there wasn't a way to bring him back to full power, then he'd have to focus on that another time. Maybe he could get Lucifer or Gabriel to take him to the park instead, but- then that left them down an archangel while they waited for the demon… Amara was strong, but she wasn't stronger than Chuck. Still, maybe…

"What about Jack?" Dean's voice startled him, but it snapped him back to attention; The archangel lifted his head, blinking, and Lucifer's gaze flickered up at once, Castiel's head turned, Sam's shoulders tensed, all three of them listening intently as ever now. "Kid's powerful, ain't he? And- no offense, Amara- he might be able to do something here. At the very least, he could stay behind to keep an eye on Chuck while one of you take Michael to the park," he added to Gabriel and Lucifer, who exchanged a look, the uncertainty and frustration and exhaustion dissolving into relief at once as the new plan settled into place.

"Not a bad plan, Winchester," Lucifer remarked, leaning back, away from the couch now. Gabriel took his hand off of his brother's shoulder, instead resting it over the back of the couch. "I'll see if Billie can spare him. I'm sure she'd take him off Cage duty for th-"

Rowena's scream, sharp and short, cut him off.

All heads whirled in her direction at once, just in time to see the witch fly backwards, crashing straight through the desk on the opposite side of the room. The force didn't quite knock her out, as she groaned and stirred after she had landed, but it had definitely put her in quite a daze because she couldn't seem to stand immediately; Wide-eyed, Michael turned back to where she had been standing before, and his heart sank impossibly lower, seeming to drop straight out of his stomach and crashing right to the floor, probably landing in Hell itself.

Chuck had heaved himself up, the chair practically shattered beneath him and the chains cracked and broken on the floor. He shook the ones on his legs off with ease and, as Crowley - looking completely furious - lunged at him, turned and knocked the demon away.

A flick of his wrist sent Castiel, Gabriel and Lucifer slamming backwards when the archangels rushed to Crowley's defense, and Amara could do nothing more than turn before she was being thrown back along with Rowena. With the desk already broken, shattered with the force in which the witch had been thrown into it, Amara simply slammed back into the window, the glass shattering all around her. Rowena cringed away from it, finally managing to stand, while Amara gripped onto the windowsill and stared at Chuck through blazing, furious eyes, teeth bared.

Dean inched backwards a little, eyes darting to the side. It took Michael a second to realize what he was focusing on; The Equalizer, having been knocked to the ground when Rowena had crashed into the desk, was just a few feet away. The archangel stared at the gun, wide-eyed, but he forced his gaze back up to his Father when Chuck spoke. "Yeah, sorry to put a damper on your plans, guys, but, uh-" His gaze flicked toward Castiel, Lucifer and Gabriel, who were pinned one by one up against the wall, chins raised, struggling against the invisible hold their Father had on them. "I'm not sticking around to say hi to Jack."

Sam shifted a little from beside Dean and Michael; Chuck didn't noticed him easing toward the Equalizer, but Dean did. The older hunter held out a hand toward his younger brother, the other raised toward Chuck defensively, giving Sam a warning look and a glare when the younger hunter simply continued his advances toward the gun, ignoring the oldest Winchester.

"Ah, bup, bup," Chuck's voice made Michael flinch, and he jumped a little when the gun went skidding across the floor, right at Chuck's feet. Sam hissed out through his teeth and stopped, while Dean just scowled, relief and frustration battling in the hunter's chest. Michael took a deep breath and looked back up at his Father, who offered nothing more than a cold, cruel smirk. Then, with another twist of his wrist, Michael was up against the wall beside his brothers, feeling like a hand had curled around his throat, holding him back up against the wall. He gasped for air - not for himself, but for Dean - and lifted his chin, as if that could loosen the hold.

"Let's not be too hasty here, huh?" Chuck leaned down to pick the gun up. "I got what I want, and now I'll be on my way. Clearly there's no sense in sticking around for tea or anythi-"

He cut off with an audible gasp when Amara abruptly shoved herself forward, grabbing Chuck by the front of his shirt and slamming him backwards into the wall. The pressure on Michael's throat loosened at once as they fought, and Lucifer stumbled forward, his brothers having been freed as well. Rowena, meanwhile, was back on her feet and frantically scrambling through her bag, cursing under her breath as she searched for something. As for Sam, well, he went straight for the Equalizer, much to Dean's chagrin, as the hunter lunged forward to get to it first.

"Why didn't the spell work?" Castiel snarled out, barely avoiding being crashed into as Amara threw Chuck back against the wall they had been pinned against just moments before. Their Father was back up on his feet in an instant, meeting his sister head on when she lunged again, and Michael flinched away slightly, sucking in a deep breath as he watched.

"I don't know," Rowena cried, turning the bag over and dumping the contents out onto the desk. Crowley, who had made his way back to his feet, rushed over at once to help her search, while everyone else simply scrambled to get out of the way while Amara and Chuck fought. Sam and Dean, meanwhile, neither of them had been able to grab hold of the Equalizer; Because it had fallen into the hands of none other than Lucifer, who was stubbornly refusing to hand it over to the younger Winchester and was stealthily avoiding the grabby hands of the oldest.

"Lucifer-" Sam started, breathless and exasperated, but he jerked back when Lucifer snapped back at him, his exhausted fury seeming to return tenfold.

"Nobody's giving up their lives to fight my Father, got it?" The Devil fixed his gaze on the younger hunter for only a second before he spun around, turning his back on a rather stunned-looking Sam, and raising the gun to point it toward Chuck. Michael's protests caught in his throat, but he found himself relieved when they proved unnecessary, because his brother couldn't seem to get a clear shot between Amara and Chuck, who were still hashing it out, destroying various parts of the house in the process. "Amara, _move!"_

Their aunt looked over, wide-eyed; Before she could even get a chance to do as she was told, Chuck had grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her around, pulling her backwards against her and managing to wrap his arm around her throat. Michael inhaled sharply, eyes widening, as their Father stumbled backwards, away from them, and pulled Amara long with him. "Do it," he told Lucifer darkly, and the Devil stiffened, visibly, eyes focused on his Father. "_Do it."_

Dean's hands curled into fists, but he didn't move. Castiel circled around to stand beside them, looking positively furious. Gabriel paused, glancing back and forth between them all for a moment, before abruptly turning his gaze toward Lucifer. And then, suddenly, the archangel began to fall; It happened all too quickly, and Michael understood what was happening in just those few split seconds in which his brother crashed toward the ground; He was going to get Jack. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one who noticed.

Chuck shoved Amara forward away from him and raised a hand; Gabriel sprung upright again almost immediately, and his eyes, which had began rolling into the back of his head, went wide. And then, in the same instant, he was doubled over coughing and hacking, gripping at his throat. Michael's eyes widened, and Lucifer's arms dropped to his sides at once, rushing toward their brother. The oldest archangel turned, as well, desperate to get to Gabriel's side. But it was too late; By the time they reached him, he had already coughed out half of his Grace - before either of them could react, he had crumpled straight to the floor, and the Grace spun in the air for a moment before abruptly vanishing in a bright flash of light.

A low grunt from Sam tore Dean's attention away from Gabriel, and Michael protested, but he didn't try to stop the hunter from turning back to his own brother. Sam had doubled over, gripping his shoulder; Michael looked over at once, noting Chuck doing the same thing.

He had tired himself out, just from sending Gabriel away to who-knows-where.

Suddenly, Michael understood; Chuck was _weak_. He couldn't kill them, otherwise he would have done so himself by then. All he could do was tug at his puppets' strings. But that wasn't working now, so he was resorting to this; Stupid, useless tactics, a desperate man trying to get himself out of the mess he had made. Michael's lips curled back the moment the realization set in, a mixture of disgusted and amused. It was an odd combination of emotions, but he welcomed them with open arms. His stupid, weak Father couldn't do anything right, could he?

But this triumph didn't last long; Lucifer, positively furious, had turned back and raised the gun at his Father once again. But Chuck seemed prepared this time; he snapped his fingers, the Equalizer vanishing at once from the Devil's grasp, and before his younger brother could even properly _look _alarmed, he, himself was doubled over coughing, gasping and choking on his own Grace as it tried to force its way up his throat. Michael whirled around at once, rushing over to Lucifer's side and stumbling slightly over his feet in his haste to get to him.

"No, no, no, Lucifer- Luci," Michael hissed through clenched teeth, grabbing his brother by the shoulder and lifting a hand to the Devil's mouth, as if he could stop his Grace from spilling out, himself. Lucifer grabbed onto his arm, whether for comfort or to hold himself steady, Michael didn't even know. He did feel it, however, when Lucifer suddenly went rigid, and then suddenly straightened up, back arching, swallowing down his Grace as a soft shudder ran through him. But it seemed to be over, at least for the time being - and a loud crash behind them hinted why, as Amara seemed to have recovered and attacked her brother yet again.

"Go get Jack," Lucifer begged, grabbing onto Michael's other arm now, but only to push him away. The archangel flinched and staggered a little, ready to do as instructed at once.

"No!" Chuck screamed, still struggling with Amara, as his older sister sent him crashing to the floor. The second he was down, Castiel lunged towards him, grabbing their Father by the shirt and swinging him around to slam him backwards into the wall. Michael froze a little, more so at the violence Castiel was displaying than anything. There was nothing but rage in his eyes, blazing a bright, electric blue as the angel went off, landing punch after punch. And just when Michael started to relax, started to think they had the upper hand, Chuck managed to get one hand free - and that was it.

Castiel went flying backwards, crashing straight through the window and disappearing from sight. In a moment of panic, the oldest archangel staggered backwards, every part of him shaking as he screwed his eyes shut. He just had to get to the Empty, had to get to Jack, and then-

He heard Dean's choked, strangled gasp, and Sam's frantic yell before he felt the pain. Admittedly, it was more on Dean's end, and as the archangel opened his eyes, he saw why.

Sticking right through Dean's stomach was a sword, long and golden and dripping with the hunter's blood. It had gone straight through him, sticking into the wall, and Dean slumped forward over it with a gasp as his fingers fumbled for the handle. Michael could only stare, more shocked than anything at what had just happened, completely unexpected and, to be quite honest, terrifying as all hell. It wouldn't hurt him, and Chuck had known that. But he'd also known Michael wouldn't leave Dean like this to go to the Empty. He lifted his gaze to his Father, who was backing away from them now, managing to dodge Amara and send her crashing back into the wall again with a flick of his wrist. Michael was vaguely aware of Sam rushing to Dean's side, more concerned for his brother now than he was about Chuck, but the archangel couldn't move his gaze away from his Father. It was kind of horrible, as if everything else had slowed down, as if everyone else had faded away, but Chuck seemed to be the only one in the room.

At least until Rowena lunged forward, herself, and grabbed Chuck by the wrist with one hand. On his other side, Crowley appeared, holding a hex bag; Before his Father could react, Michael watched, wide-eyed, as the demon shoved the bag straight into Chuck's mouth and held his hand over it so he couldn't spit it out, while Rowena started speaking, fast and rapid, in Latin. Amara shoved herself up against the wall with a gasp, but she didn't move, just watching.

"Dean," Castiel's voice broke through the silence that had enveloped Michael and the hunter; the oldest Winchester turned toward the angel at once, wide, unfocused eyes searching for the angel's. His head was swimming, Michael could feel it, so many thoughts wriggling around and hardly any time for any of them to register before they were replaced by the next ones. The pain had spread throughout the hunter's entire body, but Michael could feel it numbing them at the same time, the tips of his fingers growing colder by the second. "Stay with us."

"He's not going anywhere," Sam mumbled frantically, and Dean's eyes flicked toward him as the younger hunter reached out, not minding the blood, hands searching to cover what he could of the wound. Michael flinched a little as his hand brushed against where the sword met Dean's skin; It didn't hurt him directly, but the hunter's pain was enough, at least knowing he was in pain was enough. Lucifer had stumbled toward them at that point, but he hadn't gotten too close, seeming uncertain as to whether or not he should. After a moment, though, he stepped forward.

"Let me-"

"No-" Dean choked out, cutting the Devil off, as Michael brought his gaze up to his younger brother. At this point, Michael was already working to heal what he could, but it was difficult to do so with the sword still stuck through the hunter. And even more so without the full use of his powers, but he was just doing what he could to keep Dean alive right then. "Go- Jack," Dean continued to insist, and the confusion on Lucifer's face fizzled out to realization at once. "Get Jack," the hunter hissed out, and Michael practically trembled as the oldest Winchester suddenly shifted positions, despite Sam's protests. "No time."

Chuck's muffled protests did nothing this time; The Devil looked to Sam first, and then to Castiel for permission; and then, at once, his eyes rolled back and he had crumpled to the ground. Michael watched, not sure whether to feel relieved or not, but Dean seemed to relax, as much as was possible, anyway. He didn't really understand why the hunter had sent Lucifer away, but at the same time, he did; Rowena and Crowley were already having a hard time holding Chuck steady, and there wouldn't be enough time for Lucifer to remove the sword and heal Dean himself right then. Getting Jack was their best option. Still, Michael didn't know how long he could hold his powers; He was struggling, even now, keeping his Grace wrapped tightly around the hunter and simply struggling to keep his heart pounding, blood pumping, and to keep him conscious. But he could feel the nausea and the dizziness building up, too. He didn't have long.

With a furious scream, Chuck abruptly managed to wrench himself away from Rowena and Crowley; Turning on his heel, he sent both of them flying backwards into the wall, choking and spitting the hex bag out onto the floor in the process. And then another flash of light enveloped the room, but this time it was coming solely from Chuck, wrapping around him. Michael realized what he was doing at once, and Amara seemed to, too, because she screamed.

"Oh, no, you _don't-!" _She lunged forward, grabbing for her brother; The light enveloped her just at the last second, and then they were both gone. Rowena gasped and slumped backwards against the wall, while Crowley let out a furious roar and slammed his fist against the floor.

Dean inhaled sharply and let his head fall back against the wall. Michael blinked back the tears brewing in his eyes, silently praying Amara could handle Chuck on her own, but he had a feeling she'd be returning empty handed. He looked down at Lucifer for a moment, growing slightly desperate as he wondered when Jack would be arriving. Every second that ticked by felt like hours were passing, and Dean's eyes were sliding shut, his heartbeat was slowing…

"No- no, no, stay- stay-" Michael forced their eyes open, hardly managing to choke out the words through the hunter's blood. Dean groaned a little in protest when the archangel moved their head forward, looking down at the sword. Then, taking in a shaky breath, he fumbled for the handle, cringing back slightly as another spark of pain shot through him. But it brought Dean back to his senses, if only slightly, and, abruptly, the hunter began pulling at the sword, trying to pull it out. Sam rushed to protests, while Castiel's hands hovered over the sword.

"Dean," Sam warned, wide-eyed, but Dean paid him no mind, simply brushing his brother's hands aside when the younger hunter reached out to stop him. Michael took a deep breath, struggling to add some of his own strength to the mix, or whatever he had left. Dean bit down on his tongue when they finally managed to tug the sword out of the wall, and as they began pulling it out of the hunter, himself, the oldest Winchester didn't make a single sound.

"What are you doing?" Crowley demanded, heaving himself away from the wall to approach them. "That's going to make it worse- Squirrel- can one of you bloody idiots stop him before he bleeds out?" He snapped at Sam and Castiel, who exchanged a helpless look in response.

Then, with a grunt and a gasp, Dean managed to pull the sword out completely. He dropped it at once and slid down the wall, while Castiel and Sam grabbed onto his arms. Michael blocked out Sam's desperate mumblings and his brother's quiet reassurances, looking down at the blood seeping into Dean's shirt, the wound pouring even harder now that the sword wasn't there to put any pressure on it. The archangel brought a hand up over the wound, pressing down against it, but Castiel's hands eased his own away so that his brother could position his fingers over the wound, himself, his hands beginning to glow as he struggled to heal the hunter, himself.

He managed to close up half of the wound before he sank back, gasping, the blue in his eyes fading out at once and the golden glow on his hands stuttering and dimming down to nothing. "I can't…" Castiel started, looking frustrated; Dean reached one hand out toward him, resting it lightly against the angel's arm and letting his head fall back against the wall again.

Michael looked down. The blood was still pouring and the wound still stung, but other than that, he felt numb. And cold. And Dean's heart-rate was slowing by the second, and Michael knew that maybe he was being impatient - it had barely been a minute since Lucifer had gone to get Jack - but something needed to be done now or else Dean was going to bleed out right then and there, and judging by the way his eyes were slipping shut again, he didn't have long until it happened. He wasn't going to make it until Lucifer and Jack got back, and that was just a fact.

The archangel shivered a little and raised a hand over what was left of the wound, allowing Dean to close his eyes only so that Michael could concentrate the rest of his energy into healing the hunter. His powers resisted at first, as if warning him against it, but he didn't stop, and he didn't falter. He just let Dean relax against the wall, keeping his hand hovering over the wound, a faint golden glow sparking up against his fingertips. He poured all of his energy into it, all of his concentration. He wasn't letting Dean Winchester die. Not today. Not if he could stop it, and he was praying - not to God, but to himself - that he would be able to save him.

Then, miraculously, the wound began to close. It started slowly at first, the pain beginning to dissipate; At first, Michael thought they were just going numb again, but he slowly realized the pain was merely ebbing away as he was healing the wound. He had to crack his eyes open to see what he was doing, rolling his head to the side to get a better look. He only dropped his hand when the blood stopped gushing; He hadn't closed the wound completely, but he had done enough to stop the blood from flowing out as rapidly as it had been. With that done, he focused his energy on simply keeping Dean's heart beating, managing to bring it back to a steady rhythm. He wasn't sure how long he could hold that, but for now, it was enough, and hopefully it was enough to keep the hunter alive until his brother and nephew arrived.

"You shouldn't have done that," Dean muttered around the blood that had bubbled up to his lips, and Michael actually had to huff out a laugh despite himself. Yeah, judging by the dizziness and the nausea and the darkness slowly creeping up at the corners of his vision, he probably shouldn't have, but he had, and it was over, and that was that.

"Too late," he replied simply, quiet and breathless. Sam's expression shifted into one of relief as the realization settled in, and Castiel exhaled sharply, his fingers curling around Dean's. Michael turned his head slightly, realizing with mild curiosity that his brother had grabbed the hunter's hand, bloody as it was, and had yet to let go. Dean twitched a little at the realization, himself, and his lips tugged upwards at the corners for just half a second before his eyes slid shut again, but he seemed more exhausted now than he was on the brink of death, so Michael allowed him to relax with a soft, shaky sigh.

Unfortunately, though, that was his own undoing.

He was conscious when Lucifer - no, Jack's - voice cut into the silence, abrupt and confused, concerned and dazed. He was conscious when he heard Gabriel speaking, his brother seemingly having returned from wherever he was. He was conscious when Rowena explained the situation, and when Crowley explained that Chuck had left, and taken Amara with him. He was conscious when Dean was lifted up off of the floor by Sam and Castiel.

He was conscious until cold air hit him straight in the face. And then the darkness took over, dizzying, painful, confusing, and terrifying - but welcomed all the same, because through the dizziness, through the pain and confusion and terror, there were whispers, Adam's voice in his ear, promising him safety and warmth if he would just let himself go, to stop gripping the edge so tightly, to just close his eyes and jump and see where it took him, to let the dark pull him under, like a blanket wrapping around him, like waves crashing down over his head. But they weren't violent and angry, they were calming and steady, and through it all, they promised that his anchor would be waiting for him at the end.

It didn't occur to him, until he was already drifting through the darkness, that Adam would never have encouraged him to let go. But by then, it was too late.


	63. Chapter 63

_200 reviews... honestly, guys, I'm shook. So, as a thank-you, I present to you an extra long Special Chapter! XDDD But seriously, thank you all for reading, and for the lovely reviews and the support and just- all of it. I really appreciate it all, and I'm so, so happy you're all enjoying reading the story as much as I've been enjoying writing it. And I hope you like where I take it._

_We're almost at the end, guys. Hope you're ready._

_Stay tuned. I love you. :3_

* * *

"God."

Adam stood rigid, arms crossed over his chest, watching Bela warily as she paced from one end of the room to the other. Her expressions were flipping faster than the channels on TV, ranging from a disconcerted grimace to a furious scowl and just about everything in between. It was so intense, her anger, that Adam could almost feel it radiating from her. His mouth twisted sharply in response, flicking his gaze away from her for a second and choosing instead to let his eyes roam around the hotel room, just for a good few seconds, before he had to turn back to her again. He wasn't sure what else there was to say; He had told her _most _things on his end, after insisting that she bring him back to the hotel first, but she was still having some trouble grasping certain… aspects. At least, it seemed like it. If not, then, well, she was a good actress.

"_God_," Bela repeated herself through clenched teeth. It seemed to be a little less believable every time she said it, because the amount of scorn in her voice as she spoke next made Adam's nose wrinkle. She didn't sound quite skeptical, though. The scorn seemed to come from a place of rage - and the kind of disbelief that came with a 'this can't be happening' situation. She whipped around to face him, and Adam had to force his expression to relax as his lips curled back somewhat instinctively into a snarl. "_God?" _She hissed at him. "_Really?"_

"So I'm going to assume this means you didn't know who he was when-"

"Shut up- shut up!" Bela shook her head and brought her hands up to the sides of her face, turning away from him to continue pacing once again, and Adam twitched slightly in response but he snapped his mouth shut dutifully and looked away again, huffing out a sigh through his nose. He should be heading to the park by now, meeting Michael by the swings or something like they so often did in their dreams, but instead he was here. But, he tried to remind himself, that was a good thing. This meant maybe he could still save her, right? Judging by her reaction, she clearly had no idea what she had walked into. And Adam still didn't have the full story from her - something he still wanted before he left, if that was possible at all…

"Okay- okay." Bela cleared her throat, seemingly composing herself once again, and Adam arched an eyebrow questioningly as she turned back to him. "So you're a Winchester," she started, and he nodded. "You were stuck in Lucifer's Cage with an _archangel_ and only recently got out because of an apocalypse that God- _God- _started-" Adam nodded again, good, she was getting it now. "And you've been lying to me this entire time," she continued, her tone turning venomous, to which Adam visibly paused his nodding, "because you think _he _sent me-"

"Ah- well- word in the grapefruit is that he did." Adam tapped the side of his skull, then crossed his arms again. "According to my old body-buddy, who got the info directly from God himself. Apparently," he raised his voice when Bela opened her mouth to protest, the other demon practically seething now as she glared at him. "You were sent to lead me on this grand mission to the dark side, complete with anti-hero training and all." He flicked his wrist toward the lamp beside the bed, turning it off and then on again as if to prove his own point.

"It wasn't all like that, okay?" Bela quipped back, the fury in her tone making her voice quiver with anticipation as she began pacing again. Adam heaved out a sigh - mostly because watching her, at this point, was just beginning to make him dizzy, and leaned back with a frown as he waited for her to tell him exactly 'how it was like'. "Look- okay, so I did- run into him. Well, he ran into me," she finally admitted, somewhat begrudgingly, and Adam quirked an eyebrow. "And yes, maybe he did send me to… help you along with your powers…" She began, "but I didn't have the slightest clue that he was _God-" _She made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat - much to Adam's surprise - as she turned back to face him. "Nor that he wanted me to train _you _to kill the Winchesters. Or, hell, that _you _were a Winchester, yourself!"

Adam didn't quite dismiss these words; Rather, he thought them over carefully, taking them with a grain of salt in the process. The possibility that she could still be lying to him made it hard to trust her, especially considering she _had _lied to him. Maybe not as intensely as he might have thought before, _maybe_, but she had still lied, which meant she could _still be _lying, so caution was his friend right then. With that said, the hope that he could save her had been fully renewed, and so Adam had to tread lightly on that aspect, as well. Driving her away could be a grave mistake. The demon opened his mouth to respond - then paused, blinked, and frowned.

Something was wrong.

He didn't know what it was. It was just a feeling; Like a lump had risen to his throat, and then dropped straight to his stomach, taking his heart along with it. It was something akin to the feeling he got when he was up high, or falling. But this was much more _jarring _somehow, and a little more unnerving than terrifying. It was like knowing something was about to jump out at you, but not knowing what, when, or where. Like every part of him was on high-alert and he didn't even know what for. He ran his tongue over his lips and looked away from Bela for a moment, swallowing hard and taking a deep breath in a half-hearted attempt to stifle the feelings for now. But even then, for all his efforts, he couldn't shake it. He felt it, deep in his bones, something bad was happening - or had already happened? But he just couldn't grasp _what_.

Adam frowned and shook his head a little, taking a deep breath and bringing his attention back to the other demon. Bela was just staring at him, blue eyes narrowed coldly, and Adam grimaced slightly as he forced his focus back onto her, reluctantly putting the twisting, anxious feeling to the back of his mind for the time being. Or, at least, trying to. "I did what I had to do," he told her carefully, scrutinizing her expression carefully; Bela's mouth twisted sharply into a frown, but she didn't say anything yet, just watching him. "Yeah, okay, I lied to you. And you know what? I kinda hated every damn second of it. But I wasn't about to just lead you to my brothers until I was sure you weren't going to try to kill them. So I'm sorry, but-"

"It would have been nice to know _you _didn't want to kill them," Bela interrupted sharply, and Adam sighed, mouth open, and snapped it shut at once to listen to her. "I thought we were in the same boat, you know. That's what you told me, isn't it? They betrayed you, too. Left you to rot in Hell. Or was that a lie, too?" She stepped forward. "How much of what you told me were lies?"

"Hey, what I told you was the truth," Adam shot back, eyes narrowing faintly. "They did leave me to rot in Hell. And I was pissed at them - I was _so _pissed at them for the longest time, but you know what? I got over it. Being pissed didn't do shit for me, and in the end-" He gestured slightly at nothing in particular before crossing his arms over his chest again, his frown twisting into a scowl. "It turns out that they were innocent all along. Everything that happened was the fault of none other than God himself. So if you're looking for someone to blame-"

"I don't _care _about that anymore!" Bela snarled, eyes turning black, and Adam jerked back slightly despite himself, taking up a somewhat defensive stance now and curling his hands into fists, fingers digging into the fabric of his suit as the other demon took a few steps forward. "God, the Winchesters, hell- Satan, for fuck's sake! I don't care whose fault it was. That's not my issue right now. My issue is-" She cut herself off, pausing, and leaned away slightly for a moment. The scowl on her face dropped to somewhat of a neutral expression, as if she was reigning her own anger in, and Adam watched silently as she struggled to pull herself together. "You know what?" She sounded calm now - too calm - and Adam's eyebrows furrowed together slightly as the other demon took a few steps away. "There's no reason for me to be here."

Finally, Adam faltered, if only slightly. The guarded mask he had pulled up around himself crumbled, just a little bit, just enough to allow her a brief entrance - but, he knew, it might be too late. Something had scared her, but Adam didn't even think it had been him in particular; It had been a simple, quiet, fleeting thought of her own, something she had just been about to say, but then realized at the last moment. And she'd reeled herself in, brought up her own walls again. It was like a twisted, broken game between them; They'd dance around each other, wanting to get close but never quite able to do so before one or both of them put up the defenses yet again.

Adam took a deep breath, struggling to let down his walls just enough for her to get through. "Bela," he started, somewhat hesitantly now. "Yeah, I lied to you. And I'm sorry. But I did what I had to do for my family, and…" His mouth went dry as he realized the words that had slipped from his mouth, just past his tongue, so foreign and yet oddly familiar and comfortable, even, in the most twisted sort of way. Here he stood, so long after insisting Sam and Dean weren't his family, they were just his blood, nothing more than familiar strangers that had left him in Hell - it was funny, sometimes, how easily it all flipped around. And how oddly normal it felt to call them family. And how much he wanted them to be family, even if he wasn't sure they were yet.

"Everyone else be damned, right?" Bela muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Adam to hear. "I'll tell you one thing- you're definitely a Winchester," she snapped at him. "Nobody else matters but _family_, right? It doesn't matter who else you have to push to the side, or who you have to _lie _to and manipulate and betray as long as, in the end, you have each other and yourselves." Something in her expression seemed to falter, and yet it just gave way to more anger in the end, something even Adam couldn't understand. "The things you do for family."

Adam frowned, silent, uncomprehending, before asking quietly, "and what about you?"

"What?" Bela shook her head a little, as if snapping herself from a daze, her own twisted jumble of her own thoughts. They seemed treacherous, even to him; Adam wondered how conflicted she was feeling right then, because he knew for sure that the myriad of emotions flickering through _his _chest was enough to give _him _pause right then, too.

"I mean, have you never had that? That kind of- unconditional loyalty? The- hell, the obligation," Adam noted, his voice growing slightly softer as he looked away from her, getting somewhat lost in his own thoughts now, himself, as his mouth twisted into a frown yet again. "I mean, yeah, okay, sure, there's things you'll do for family that maybe you won't be able to do for anyone else. But family doesn't have to just- to just be _family_, y'know, doesn't have to be- to be just… blood," he added, thinking back to Michael. "Honestly, I don't think family has anything to do with relation. Just… feeling. So yeah- maybe I do put family above everything else. But I don't think that's a bad thing." He gripped his suit a little tighter, fingers burrowing deep into his arms as he fixed his gaze on the carpet, his frown relaxing into a neutral expression. "You don't know what it feels like." It wasn't a question; it was an observation.

"No, I don't," Bela responded stiffly, her voice strained now, shaking with some barely-repressed emotion that was threatening to make its way to the surface. "My own actual relatives were high-class pieces of shit and, indirectly, the reason I went to Hell in the first place. As for that _feeling _you're talking about, I've never felt like that about anyone. Not a soul." Adam glanced up for a second, watching her expression shift. "But you know what? I almost did. Just for a moment. Until I, once again, got reminded of one thing."

"And what's that?" Adam asked quietly, lifting his chin a little and staring at her.

"Family sucks." Bela's lips curled back into a sneer, and she turned away from him at last. Adam didn't respond to that, just set his mouth into a grimace and looked away. She reminded him so much of himself, and just because of that, he knew nothing he could say would get through to her right now. She was hurt, and betrayed, and pissed. This wasn't about God, or the Winchesters, or any of that anymore; This was about the fact that he had lied to her. She had been honest with him - at least on some level - and he had lied. Just another reason why he valued integrity. And just another reason why he was determined not to let that slip away again.

"I wish you well, Adam, I really do." Bela grabbed her bag from beside the bed, lightly shrugging it over one shoulder. "If you want to play house with the Winchesters, then go right ahead."

"What about you?" Adam sighed, shifting to lean against the wall now. He wanted to stop her, he did - he wanted to beg her not to go, in all honesty, but he wasn't going to do that. She was too angry, too betrayed, to listen to anything he was going to say now. He was surprised, though, to be completely honest, that she wasn't attacking him. That she wasn't screaming at him, at least. Adam knew he'd definitely be screaming.

"I'm going to keep searching for the ring I was promised. God knows I'm not getting it from him now."

Adam furrowed his eyebrows as she laughed, sharply, shortly, no humor to her tone, just a cold sense of bitterness. Every part of him ached to take that away, because he knew what it felt like, and how much it hurt. Betrayal was one of the worst feelings to hold onto, because it didn't just sting emotionally - no, it was much more physical, the pain throbbing deep down in your bones, pumping through your veins, pounding at your heart and threatening to break your ribcage open. He wanted to free her from that, from the pain he had caused, but he didn't know how.

He was a Winchester, alright.

"Well, I failed," Bela huffed a little. "I was supposed to get you to the Winchesters, but, you know what? I don't even care about that anymore. Nor do I care about that stupid ring - but I'm going to find it anyway, because apparently the whole game is rigged, and I don't get played. Not even by God himself," she sneered, lips curling back into a snarl, and Adam almost smiled - he didn't, though, as fierce as she was, and as much as he wanted to.

"Good luck."

Bela shook her head a little and mumbled something under her breath - something that sounded awfully close to "go to hell" - before she whirled around and left the hotel room. The door slammed shut behind her, hard enough to rock the room, and Adam only turned his head slightly to the side as the lamp on the nightstand shook, tilted, and began to fall; He raised one hand, stopping it with ease, and a flick of his wrist balanced it right back where it had been standing moments before. Well, he'd done it; He'd come clean, and he'd paid the price of his own dishonesty, and been reminded of why he hated lying in the first place. Which was both a good thing and a bad thing, because for Adam Milligan, it meant he wouldn't be lying to anyone else any time soon after this. Too much at stake. Too much left to lose. He should've considered that from the get-go, and then maybe he wouldn't be standing here alone, numb yet aching.

He flicked his eyes toward the ceiling and frowned, just slightly, to himself. That feeling was back, the rock in his stomach, the twisting of his gut and the pain in his chest. But it was accompanied by something else, now, some kind of growing fear, anxiety, one he was familiar with - but this was stronger than what he was used to from Michael, and it was concerning.

But, with the reminder of Michael, Adam realized, he really should be heading off. He had a long walk ahead of him, after all, but luckily for him, he knew the way to the park from here.

Adam rubbed his eyes and looked around for a moment, glancing toward his own bag. There was nothing important inside, just clothes, some of the suits Bela had gotten him. But he found himself picking it up anyway before he headed for the door, somewhat reluctantly. A part of him wanted to get a quick shower in before he left, but he decided against it. He was already running way later than he had planned, so it'd be better just to get this over with and get back to his body-buddy as soon as he could while he still had some sanity left.

He brushed off the first flash of pain he felt - nothing too strong, just a sharp twinge down his spine, across his shoulders. Figured it was just from being so stiff all day, rolled his shoulders back a little and continued on his way, stretching slightly in the process. He still had a long way to go - he could relax once he got to the park. Everything would be fine, right? He was going to meet up with Michael, they were going to be together again, and while Adam knew a strong part of him would never really forget about Bela - he could try to do something else right for her. He was realizing, though, he had wanted to save her from Chuck all along, keep her from being a puppet, from being manipulated, and he hadn't really seen that he had been manipulating her, himself, in so many different ways. But, with that in mind came a clearer thought.

She knew everything now, and she had made the choice of walking away, from both him and from Chuck. So maybe, in a way, Adam had still saved her. He hoped so, at least.

* * *

Adam had determined, by the time he reached the park, something was very, very wrong. But it wasn't on his end, no; The sickening feeling wasn't coming from him, not really, he just hadn't realized it before because he was feeling it just as strongly as the one who was in trouble; There was only one thought in his mind, a half-baked, desperate one, a single word, a name, one that suddenly felt all too far away and yet it had never been closer than this moment.

_Michael. _Something was wrong with Michael.

The demon paused beside one of the benches. He had yet to actually enter the park completely, the sign just up ahead, several feet away. Children were laughing, dancing across the playground he had once ruled over, but that wasn't his concern right then. He reached out, quietly gripping onto the back of the bench for a moment with one hand and screwing his eyes shut as tight as he could. Whatever was wrong with Michael, Adam couldn't figure it out. The anxiety on his end had turned into flat-out fear, a bone-chilling, sickening kind of terror - and Adam knew, he _knew _what it was, and what had to be wrong, but he was hoping with every fiber of his being that he was wrong this time because if it was what he thought it was…

_Halo, _Adam prodded at the connection, no longer being careful with it, no longer cautious and taking it slow. No, he pushed and shoved at it, struggling to break past whatever barrier was still somehow holding them apart. He sucked in a stuttering, shaky breath and ended up holding it for a good few seconds, the burning feeling creeping up in his lungs giving him some sort of feeling to replace the sudden numbness that had engulfed him. There was no response from Michael's end, but there didn't need to be, either; With one final shove, the dam broke, and everything came pouring in. Adam doubled over slightly, hands falling from the bench, curling around his knees, eyes screwing shut tightly as a thousand new images stabbed into his head. They swirled around and played over and over again, memories but not his own, and he only caught brief glimpses. Until, suddenly, finally, everything slowed, stopped, and began again.

This time, he could see it all too clearly. Chuck had escaped, and they were fighting him; He felt his breath leave him as Michael was slammed up against the wall, and his choked screams of concern were swallowed down through the demon's desperation, fingers gripping a little tighter into the fabric beneath his hands as he struggled to hold onto the vision unraveling before him. He wanted to be there, he wanted to be facing Chuck alongside Michael, the archangel shouldn't be going through this _alone, _that wasn't fair. But it was happening.

Adam wasn't there.

"Oh, no," the demon mumbled frantically, feeling dizzy enough to fall to his knees now, but he held himself up carefully, steadily, breathing somewhat heavily now as he struggled to hold onto the connection. Watching wasn't helping him by any means; He had to get there, he had to get to Michael, but there was nothing he could do now. There was no way he'd be able to get to the archangel in time. Michael was in danger, and Adam couldn't do a _damn thing-_

He froze, choking in a gasp, strangled and choked, as a rush of pain split through his stomach. It was enough to send him staggering, fumbling to hold onto something. His hand managed to latch onto part of the bench as he went crashing down to his knees, the other one flying down to cover his stomach. There was nothing there, no wound, no blood, nothing, but he could feel the pain and the stickiness against his fingers, clinging to his skin and the fabric of his clothes. And he could feel the pain ripping through him harsher than anything he'd ever felt before, only to be replaced with cold only moments later, and then a sharp, numbing, tingling kind of feeling.

In all honesty, for a good few seconds, it felt like floating.

He shuddered at the feeling of blood bubbling to his lips, forcing its way up his throat. There was nothing there, though, even though he could feel it like it was his own. He saw Sam's face on one side, felt his hands over the wound. He heard Castiel's voice mumbling in his ear. He heard Michael, soft and desperate and praying to himself. Not for himself, but for Dean, Adam thought he heard, the silent begging that the hunter would stay alive. Something was wrong with Dean- something had happened to Dean-

The pain began to ebb away. Then it was numb again, still cold and tingling, still wrong. Only for something a little warmer to spread through him, bringing up a rush of dizziness in the process. Adam knew what was happening immediately; Michael was healing Dean, he was using up whatever was left of his powers to do it, and the demon choked out a quiet, strangled, "no", as he doubled over, still gripping his stomach, silently pleading for the archangel to stop. But he didn't, not until the rest of the pain and the freezing numbness was gone, until all that was left was the sickening, nauseating dizziness spinning Adam in circles.

He couldn't breathe. He wondered if Michael could.

For a while, he was able to hold on. The connection grew stronger and stronger the more he focused on it. But the dizziness wasn't letting up, the darkness flickering at his vision was showing no signs of relenting to him just yet. His lungs were burning, and he felt like he was choking on his own blood, even though that couldn't possibly be the case. No, Adam couldn't breathe, he couldn't even get in a tiny gasp of air, nothing to satisfy the aching in his lungs.

Maybe that was why he didn't fight when the darkness pulled him under - in a way, it was welcomed, because it, miraculously, took that burning feeling away.

* * *

"Adam. _Adam!"_

Adam's eyes snapped open, sucking in a sharp, stuttering breath. The air that filled his lungs was welcoming, but startling at the same time. The burning feeling didn't fade away - nor did the nausea and the dizziness, or the pain that was splitting through his stomach at that moment. He clenched his teeth tight as he struggled to push himself to sit up, pushing at the hands hovering around him, trying to help him up. They weren't Michael's hands, and that wasn't Michael's voice, and the face hovering over him was unfamiliar through the hazy blur he was staring through. So to him, at this moment, the man in front of him was a total stranger and Adam just wasn't having any of that. Yeah, so he'd passed out, big deal. Didn't mean he couldn't sit up.

He exhaled sharply and brought a hand to his stomach, half-expecting to feel some kind of wound there, to feel the blood on his fingers. But when he looked down, nothing was there; It was kind of funny, because he could still feel it sticking to him, but there was no blood, no wound, not even a rip in his suit. He was dirty, though, he noticed immediately - having taken his fall to the ground, he assumed, but that wasn't his concern right then. He was aware that he had passed out, obviously enough, but the reasoning behind that was still a little hazy, as well as why the hell he was in pain at the moment, too. He winced a little when he shifted, gripping his stomach a little tighter and finally bringing his gaze up to see who was in front of him.

For a second, even as the blurriness cleared up - the dizziness remained, but it became somewhat bearable for the time being - he couldn't recognize the man he was staring at. Blinking rapidly, he screwed his face up and narrowed his eyes, starting to curl his lips back and snarl - and then those blue eyes narrowed, darkening slightly at the hostility written across Adam's face, and the demon realized it at once.

"Luce?" Adam mumbled, not sure whether to be relieved or even more confused. Right, that was Lucifer - but it was the form he'd taken in the Empty, and, on occasion, in the Cage. It was weird, not seeing him with innocent, childlike features, but he pushed those thoughts aside for the time being, twisting a little to try and stand up and keeping one hand over his stomach.

"Easy," Lucifer warned him with a sigh, and Adam's face screwed up again as he opened his mouth to snarl out a response - only to cut off with a gasp when he was suddenly hauled right to his feet, another pair of hands gripping his arms from behind and lifting him right up off the ground. He twisted at once, ready to fight back, until yet another rush of dizziness slammed straight into him, knocking his breath away and bringing up another sharp jolt of pain to his stomach, causing him to double over again, teeth bared in a snarl. "Gabriel, _careful."_

"People are watching, Luci," Gabriel muttered under his breath, pointedly. "We gotta go." Lifting his head, somewhat reluctantly, Adam turned to glance around, finally managing to jerk himself out of the archangel's grip. He went stumbling forward, only for Lucifer to grab him by the shoulder and heave him back toward Gabriel, who once more took hold of his arms, a little more tightly this time to ensure he couldn't get away. Adam was growing more and more desperate to do just that, now, simply because he knew he was being restrained.

He also realized that they were in the park; How Lucifer and Gabriel had gotten to him, Adam had absolutely no idea. Maybe Michael had told them where the park was, or-

Michael. Wait.

Another horrible realization set in, short and sudden, but it turned the nauseous uncertainty into full-on anxiety when it finally hit him. He couldn't feel the archangel there; Not just his emotions, or his thoughts, but his _presence _had all but vanished from the demon's mind. Like their connection had been severed. He was gone; Michael was _gone_. His consciousness, his emotions, his thoughts, all of it. Adam couldn't feel him there anymore. The terror was sickening, and he felt just about ready to throw up, turning his half-desperate gaze to Lucifer. "Michael," he mumbled, watching the Devil pause at the name. "Where's Michael?"

"On his way to the bunker, with the Winchesters," Lucifer muttered, then, abruptly, he snapped his mouth shut and looked back up at Gabriel. Before Adam could twist around to look at the archangel, a pair of wings were wrapped around him. They felt nothing like Michael's giant feather-dusters - they were somewhat smaller, in a way, and a little lighter in color. Yet, at the same time, the color wasn't one he could quite make out; like it wasn't just one in particular, or at least not one Adam could decipher, like it wasn't even a color a _human _could make out. In a way, it was somewhat mesmerizing - lucky for him, because it took away from the nausea when the park suddenly shifted around them, when the ground disappeared from beneath his feet, until there were familiar walls closing around him instead and by the time the wings pulled away, he knew exactly where they were and aside from being in his own head with Michael, since their separation, he had never felt anywhere else that felt more like _home_.

Adam took a deep breath and looked around, feeling a numbing sort of relief. He was back in the bunker - a place he couldn't even believe he'd missed in the first place - but his attention focused back on Michael rather quickly. "Is he okay?" He turned back to Lucifer. "I can't-"

"Look, Adam, why don't you sit down," Lucifer interrupted, and Adam blinked, watching as the Devil gestured toward one of the tables. At this point, Gabriel had retreated to sit down, himself, putting his head in his hands with his elbows propped up on the table. He looked… distraught, to say the least - and, flicking his gaze back and forth between the archangel and Lucifer, Adam began to realize that neither of them were looking too hot. Lucifer had a strained expression on his face, a mixture of stress and defeat flickering through his eyes, mouth twisted into a frown. He couldn't seem to hold Adam's gaze for more than a second, either, eyes bouncing around frantically around the room but never quite able to focus on one thing in particular.

Maybe Adam wasn't as good at reading Lucifer as he was at reading Michael, but he could still fucking tell when something was up, and this was enough to send his heart plummeting to his already-twisting stomach, doubling the nausea ten-fold. And, so, he moved over to sit down, not just from the Devil's request, but because if he didn't, he was going to pass out again.

"Start talking," he ground out, teeth gritting together as he pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger with one hand, the other still clutching his stomach. His lips curled back slightly, taking in a deep breath and trying to force back the feeling of the blood sticking to his skin, the pain tearing his stomach apart from the inside out. It wasn't real - phantom pain, and he knew that, because he, himself wasn't wounded. He was just feeling the pain of Dean's injuries, due to his connection with Michael. In a way, it was kind of grounding, kind of relieving, because it meant that he wasn't completely disconnected from him. At the same time, it was somewhat of a terrifying thought, because there was a possibility the connection had spread to Dean, instead, and that was the last thing Adam wanted…

Still, through the pain, he glared up at Lucifer, determined to get some answers. The Devil looked down at him, blue eyes narrowing faintly, but he didn't seem hostile or upset - just contemplative, and somewhat hesitant. When he spoke, though, he spoke bluntly, which Adam was both grateful for and hated at the same time, because it brought the nausea to its peak. "Michael's unconscious," Lucifer sighed, leaning over the table across from him and crossing his arms with a frown. "Shit happened, Chuck escaped, and Dean got hurt in the fight. Michael tried to heal him and bit off a little more than he could chew and knocked himself out. He's been out for a good few hours now, ever since they left the house, according to Dean."

Adam shook his head a little, squeezing his eyes shut for a few seconds and struggling to focus his attention on not throwing up. Obviously, he could definitely do without the nausea. He wasn't even sure it was related to what Lucifer had just told him, or his own anxiety about Michael at all - it was just there, and it was starting to get on his nerves. Either way, beyond that, he didn't know whether to be relieved or even more scared for his best friend. Because, on one hand, at least he wasn't dead. He'd just tired himself out, it sounded like. But on the other hand, he had already been on thin fucking ice with his powers, but he'd never knocked himself out before. Oh, Adam was going to give him _hell _when he woke up, that was for sure.

"Michael…" Adam mumbled under his breath, pressing the heel of his hand into one of his eyes and pressing his hand a little tighter into his stomach when another rush of pain split through him. It was beginning to dull a little bit - not the pain, itself, really, but more or less, his focus on it, as he was growing a little more used to the sharp throbs at that point. Lucifer let out a quiet hum - "mhm" - and pulled a chair out to sit down in front of him, looking over at Gabriel; The archangel had his head buried into his arms now, eyes shut, and… fast asleep, snoring away. Adam narrowed his eyes faintly, but he said nothing, while Lucifer's expression softened.

"Gabriel," he called quietly, causing his brother to twitch and raise his head again, somewhat reluctantly, propping his chin up in his hands instead with a low mumble of "m'awake". Lucifer just shook his head a little, jerking his head toward the doorway, where the hallway led toward the bedrooms. "Go get in a bed or something. The Winchesters have several guest rooms-" The Devil rolled his eyes. "I don't think they'll mind if you occupy one of them."

Gabriel gave him a doubtful look, glancing toward the stairs.

"I'll wake you up when they get here," Lucifer added, quirking an eyebrow, and with that promise, Gabriel let out a low grunt and heaved himself up out of the chair, stumbling a few steps but managing to balance himself easily enough. "Rowena's on her way, right?"

"Yeah. She had a few things to grab… somethin' about protection spells," Gabriel muttered, yawning, and Adam arched an eyebrow. Protection against God, he presumed, which was actually somewhat amusing. No, let God come. Adam was going to punch him right in his dumb, stupid face and make him pay for hurting Dean - and, by extention, Michael. The demon twisted his mouth a little bit, watching as Lucifer just nodded, and Gabriel slipped through the gap in the tables and clapped a hand over the Devil's shoulder as he passed. "Later, losers."

Adam rolled his eyes and looked back down, forcing a deep breath in. His lungs were still aching, to some extent - he was having trouble breathing in as deeply as he would have liked, only managing either short, silent gasps or nothing at all. He still felt like his stomach was splitting open, but at this point he was doing his best to ignore it, because thinking about it was just making it hurt a little bit worse. The demon ran his tongue over his lips and leaned back in the chair, still not quite able to remove his hand from his stomach; He glanced up just as Lucifer's eyes darted downwards, a frown twisting at the Devil's mouth.

"Are you hurt?"

"No," Adam grunted, closing his eyes for a moment and breathing in slowly through his nose, yet another attempt at reigning in the nausea churning and boiling in his gut. He made no effort to explain further, and Lucifer didn't ask; Leaning forward, the Devil folded his hands across the table, and Adam cracked his eyes open again to stare at him. For a while, they simply held eye contact, no words spoken, just lost in their own thoughts for the time being - until Adam broke the silence, somewhat tiredly. "So how'd you even find me? Thought I was off the radar."

"You were," Lucifer noted, the frown on his face fading into a neutral expression as he shrugged at the demon. "And then you weren't. I guess whatever was keeping us from you was coming from some kind of… external source." The Devil paused, and Adam dropped his gaze for a moment, shaking his head a little bit and running his fingers through his hair with a sigh. They both knew who Lucifer was referring to, and mentioning her wasn't quite necessary right then - but Lucifer must have felt the need to, because after a few seconds, he added, "so what happened to Bela?"

"She left," Adam replied blankly, dropping his hand back onto the table and curling his fingers into a fist, not looking up now. He didn't want to see Lucifer's expression, he didn't want to hear his reaction - he didn't even want to think about Bela right then. He wasn't angry at her, and to be completely honest, he understood why she had decided to leave. But if he thought about it, he would get upset, and he had enough on his plate right then. "Said screw you and screw God and walked out the door. Which, I guess, isn't so bad." He offered a one-shouldered shrug, heaving out a soft sigh and finally looking up. Not at Lucifer, but past him, fixing his eyes on the bookshelves behind the Devil and twisting his mouth sharply into a grimace.

"Yeah, hey, we could always use more Dad haters," Lucifer commended, a dry smile cracking across his lips, and Adam reluctantly flicked his gaze back to the Devil. "As long as she's not out there causing trouble, I guess. The last thing we need is another villain right now."

Adam fell silent for a moment, thinking back to what Michael had told him before. Chuck's plan hadn't concerned him, to be honest; After all, he could stop himself if he knew what _not _to do, right? And he could control his own powers enough to not burn off the rest of his humanity - and, beyond that, what would happen if he _did_, anyway? He was part archangel, would that influence anything? And would it matter if the demon part of him overpowered the human? A part of him was curious as to how much would change, but the rest of him was starting to take Michael's concerns to heart. It didn't take much to scare the archangel. Adam knew that. But his fear had struck something, mostly because of the reasons behind it; Michael had watched his own brother be twisted into a villain for his Father's entertainment, and the thought of that happening to Adam - well, obviously, it would scare the hell out of him. Adam frowned.

"Luce," he started, the grimace returning, and Lucifer raised his head at once, eyebrows quirking slightly in response. "When Chuck made you into a villain, did you know?"

"I've known the game was rigged from the get-go, Adam," Lucifer replied at once, simple and casual as he leaned back in his chair and flicked a bit of lint off of his sleeve. "Ever since I was created, I've known it, even when I didn't _know_ it. I knew he didn't care. Not about me, not about the angels, not about Heaven or Earth or the humans. The second he started creating, I knew it was all just one big story, a show, a game, and I knew it was all for him." He spread his hands out slightly, shrugging. "So when he decided to make me the villain, I went along with it. Thought, to hell with it, fine, let's do this. I already hated him. This just made it official."

Adam exhaled and leaned his head back for a moment, narrowing his eyes up at the ceiling. It wasn't fair, the idea of Chuck just using them for his own twisted entertainment. Like they really were nothing - like that was the only reason for their existence. His mouth twisted, face pinching up in frustration as he struggled past the fury. "But you didn't fight it?"

"Buddy, I fought it from day one," Lucifer told him, crossing his arms over his chest. "Resisted, forced myself to love him even though I didn't- not really, not as much as I was supposed to. Not as much as Michael did, as the others…" He trailed off. "Which, I guess, is what made it easier for me to rebel in the end. It's like I told him, you know - back in Stull Cemetery. You were there," he reminded the demon, frowning. "God made me who I am. God wanted the Devil. It was all coming in the long run, one way or another. I just stopped fighting because I figured I could convince everyone else to see what I saw. Didn't work the way I planned, but it didn't matter." He narrowed his eyes slightly, and Adam sank back again, looking down. "Adam, you're not me. Forget Chuck, forget _God_. Me being the Devil just stemmed from feelings that already existed toward my Father. If I had really wanted to, I could have fought him. Truth was, I just took the chance to turn against him when it was offered to me, and that's just that."

"And what if I took the chance to turn against the Winchesters while it's being offered to me?" Adam countered, eyes narrowing slightly, as he flicked his gaze back to Lucifer. "I mean, what if I was still angry at them? What if I still wanted revenge? What then?"

Lucifer shrugged. "That would depend on how strong-willed you were, I guess. Whether you could tough it out despite your anger and continue to go against what Chuck wants, or whether you'd give in and let yourself become the new villain. But would you be sitting here talking about this, worrying about it, if you didn't already know that it wasn't what you wanted? And don't lie to me, Adam-" The Devil added, as the demon opened his mouth to object. "You're worried. Deal."

Adam grimaced. "I'm not worried about me."

It only took a second for the realization to set in, flitting across Lucifer's face silently, accompanied by something akin to regret, and yet, not quite. "Michael," the Devil noted, his voice going just a little softer as he shook his head. "There's nothing you can do about that," he told Adam tiredly, "Michael's going to worry about this until it's over. Doesn't matter what you do or what you say to him to convince him otherwise. It's not that he doesn't trust you. It's just that trust didn't work out so well for him when it was me, and whether or not, deep down, he knows you well enough to know there's no way in hell you'll let _Chuck _get the last word on your fate here, he's going to freak out about it because it's Michael, and he's been down this road before."

Adam fell silent for a moment, letting out a soft sigh and looking away. Boy, if that wasn't the truth, Adam didn't know what was. It was almost comforting, hearing it out loud, in some twisted sort of way. The demon had known it all along, but to know that someone else knew it, too, it helped him relax somehow. He let a quiet, dry smile curl at his lips, staring at the table. "Yeah."

"It could be worse," Lucifer added conversationally, his voice a little quieter. "You could actually be a heartless asshole who would be willing to put him through that again - I mean, Dad knows I was. But that's not you. It's never been you." He heaved out a sigh and closed his eyes, as Adam's eyes flicked back up to him again, eyebrows furrowing. "You care about him too much. That's why you didn't rip Sam and Dean apart the first time you saw them again and that's why you decided to go along with them, here, in the bunker, that's why you're trying to forgive them. He's what influences most of your decisions, he's what makes them matter. He doesn't make you better, but he makes _you _want to make you better." Lucifer fell silent for a moment, flicking his gaze down to his hands. "... that's always been a talent of his."

Adam blinked back at him, eyebrows furrowing together slightly. He didn't say anything for a while, just letting those words sink in, before finally just shaking his head and clearing his throat. "That's Michael for you. He's just so… so _good_ that it makes you want to try to be that good, too, you know? Like there'd ever be a chance anyone could, but it sure as hell makes it worth a try." He shook his head a little, almost amused. "Don't know how he does it."

"Oh, nobody knows," Lucifer chuckled a little. "It's just who he is."

Adam grinned a little to himself and shook his head again, rubbing a hand down his face. The rest of his anxiety had fizzled out during the conversation, a little more confident now, somehow. He still felt nauseous, and his stomach still hurt like hell, but for the time being, he was okay. The demon was, at least, feeling a little better about both the Michael situation and the villain situation; Michael would wake up, and when he did, they'd be back together again. And then maybe the archangel wouldn't have to worry so much about him going dark side - after all, with Michael with him, Adam was pretty sure it was _less _possible than it already felt.

They sat there in silence after that. Adam kept his hand on his stomach, still trying to hold in blood that wasn't flowing. There was no point to it, to be honest, the contact didn't make it hurt any less, but he simply didn't see any point in moving his hand now, and to be honest the movement would probably make it hurt worse than it did. So he just sat there, tracing pentagrams into the table with his free hand and only looking up at last when he heard the familiar sound of the door opening, and footsteps coming down the stairs, cautious and quiet.

Castiel was the first one to enter, with Dean following not far behind. Adam's gaze flickered down to the blood staining his brother's shirt at once, the tear in the fabric. There was no wound that he could see, and the hunter was walking just fine on his own. He looked at Adam - and looked visibly relieved when his gaze rested on the demon - and the youngest Winchester merely offered nothing more than a wave as Dean passed him. There was no point in asking about Michael; If he had been awake, he would have said something. He was still unconscious.

"I'll be right back." Dean held his hands up, and Adam raised an eyebrow, noting the blood staining his skin. The hunter just turned, disappearing into the hallway, and Adam sat back.

Castiel paused behind Lucifer's chair, glancing back over his shoulder, and the Devil leaned forward when a few more familiar faces entered the room. Jack was the first one in - much to Adam's surprise - and he raised his eyebrows at the Nephilim when the kid walked in, frowning, arms crossed over his chest and looking lost in his own thoughts. His gaze flicked up, though, first to Lucifer and then to Adam, and a similar look of relief that Dean had worn flickered across his face, a smile lighting his features and his bright blue eyes seeming to brighten further. "Hello!" Jack raised a hand, beaming, and Adam snorted slightly, but he waved back slightly. "Glad you're okay, Uncle Adam."

"Of course I- pardon?"

"Adam!" Before Jack could respond, another familiar voice broke into the conversation, sounding even more relieved than Dean and Jack put together; And, despite himself, Adam's expression softened - ever so slightly - when his gaze flickered over toward Sam, who eased his way past the Nephilim and made his way straight over to the demon. "Hey, it's good to see you-" He paused, glancing down at Adam's hand, still clutching his stomach as tight as he could, and he blinked, the smile on his face fading into a frown at once. "You okay? Bela didn't-?"

"I'm fine, Sam," Adam interrupted, and, after a second thought, he reluctantly took his hand off of his stomach and placed it on the table instead. "Bela didn't do anything. She yelled at me a little bit and left. I think it's just…" He flicked his gaze toward where Dean had gone, and then looked back up at his older half-brother, watching the realization flicker across Sam's face at once, and then the relief returned, nodding slightly and running his fingers through his hair.

Despite himself, Adam chuckled, sounding more exhausted than even he expected. "Stressing yourself out, are you? Nice to see that hasn't changed," he remarked, while Sam only huffed out a laugh in response, shaking his head slightly. "So Chuck gave you the slip, I heard."

"Ah… yeah." Sam's smile faded at once. "Yeah."

"Hey, man- it's God," Adam muttered dryly. "Surprised you were able to hold him as long as you did in the first place, so." He rolled his shoulders back, flicking his gaze toward Lucifer when the Devil pushed himself to stand up and turned to leave the room, presumably to wake up Gabriel as he had promised. The demon watched him go, then rubbed his eyes and looked back over at Sam, quirking an eyebrow at his brother as the hunter pulled a chair out to sit down at the table beside him, suddenly looking exhausted; Adam quirked an eyebrow, eyeing him. "You almost look worse than I feel," he commented idly, masking the tiny bit of concern he felt with apathy.

"I probably feel worse than I look," Sam replied with a shrug, hazel eyes flicking around the room for a moment before he looked back over at Adam, glancing the demon up and down for a moment before he spoke again. "It's been a long day for everyone, I guess."

"You can say that again," Adam agreed, huffing out a sarcastic laugh, and Sam chuckled a little bit, himself, closing his eyes for a moment. "Maybe you should sleep," the demon suggested after a few moments, heaving out a sigh and tilting his head back a little to look up at the ceiling once again. "Hell, everyone should sleep. I'm about to pass out," he muttered, screwing his eyes shut as another rush of dizziness and nausea hit him, his mouth twisting into a grimace.

"Mm." A pause. "... you okay?"

"No. Not really. I feel like I'm dying… again." Adam shook his head a little at himself, blinking his eyes open again and turning his head slightly, watching Dean enter the room again. His oldest half-brother was scrubbing his hands clean with a washcloth, and sporting a new, cleaner outfit. Adam watched him, silent, the frown on his face deepening slightly as he studied the hunter, struggling to see any hint of his body-buddy there in his features, in his eyes, but there was nothing. He wasn't Michael, he was just Dean, and to be completely honest, the demon had never been more disappointed upon looking at him - at least, not that he could remember.

"Hey," Sam piped up, snapping the demon from his thoughts, and he shook his head a little and looked over at his older brother - and then back toward Dean, when he realized that the hunter was speaking to the oldest Winchester. "How're you feeling?"

"Empty," Dean admitted, a slightly unnerved expression crossing his face for a moment as he made his way forward and sat down in the chair Lucifer had previously been in. His gaze darted toward Castiel and Jack - the latter of which was simply wandering, quite and serene, running his fingers along the bookshelves and the walls and looking like he was both on the brink of tears and about to start laughing at the same time, while the former just leaned against the wall and watched him, like a parent supervising a five year old. Dean focused on them for a moment, then turned back to Adam and Sam, shrugging. "Anyway, just wishing Mike would wake his ass up already. It feels weirder having him in my head but not _there _than it did… having him in my head in the first place." He shook his head a little, obviously miffed, and Adam rolled his eyes.

"Get used to the absence," he advised his brother, narrowing his eyes warningly.

"Hey, he's all yours, man." Dean shook his head a little and sank back into the chair, wincing a little and bringing a hand up to his stomach, just as another ripple of pain shot through Adam right in that same spot. The youngest grimaced, but said nothing, hands twitching back toward his stomach instinctively. The reaction didn't go unnoticed by Dean - who only wore a look of confusion for a second before it was replaced by realization, and then somewhat of an 'ah, fuck' expression, the oldest Winchester brother's mouth settling into a grimace instantly.

Sam watched them both for a moment, frowning slightly, then took a deep breath and leaned forward, crossing his arms over the table. "So," he began, eyes narrowing, and both Dean and Adam turned their heads to look back over at him, eyebrows raising quizzically in identical expressions of anticipation. "One step forward, two steps back, per usual. Now what?"

"If you ask me, Chuck being gone is just one less thing to worry about," Adam commented, causing both of his brothers' eyes to flick toward him. "I mean, yeah, I'm sure he's aching to stir up some trouble for us in the long run, but it'll be a little less nerve-wracking not having to babysit him constantly, won't it? Give everyone else more time to focus on the Cage instead." He narrowed his eyes a little, thinking, then puffed his cheeks out and shrugged. "Just saying."

"True," Sam conceded, but he was frowning. "Still doesn't help having to worry about what he might do out there, though."

"There's not much he _can _do, is it?" Adam checked, jerking his head toward Sam's shoulder. "Face it, the guy's weak as fuck. He's running scared, and, to be completely honest, if I were him, I'd try to keep a low profile anyway. Chuck's a dumbass, for sure, but think about it this way; if you were in his position, running scared, why the hell would you put one _foot _out of line and risk the possibility of just being found and beaten all over again?" He quirked an eyebrow at Sam and Dean, who exchanged a glance, eyebrows raising slightly as the demon continued, "even he wouldn't be that stupid. So I say let him lie low for a bit, let him think he can get somewhere safe and focus on finishing up the Cage so that when he does finally screw up and we're facing off with him again, we're ready to throw his ass in there."

Dean's lips twitched slightly, while Sam suddenly let out a chuckle and hung his head, rubbing his hand over his face with a grin. Adam glanced between them questioningly until Dean just nodded, looking amused, and let his head fall back with a sigh. "Smart plan, actually."

"Yeah, I'm the brains of this operation, didn't you know?" Adam asked innocently, his own smile tugging at the corners of his lips, but not quite breaking through just yet. "Have either of you read 'The Art of War'? 'Knowing the enemy enables you to take the offensive, knowing yourself enables you to stand on the defensive'. You already think like you." He sat back. "So maybe it's time to try thinking like him, instead."

"Oh, boy, another smart brother." Dean rolled his eyes, but he was grinning openly now, while Sam just snorted slightly at his brother. Adam rolled his own eyes, sinking back in the chair and pushing it back onto two legs for a moment, before letting it drop back to all four legs once again when another rush of dizziness and nausea overtook him. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath in through his nose and clearing his throat with a sigh.

"Well, sounds like a plan to me," Sam admitted, sounding a little more cheerful now. Adam's lips twitched slightly despite himself, but he bit back the smile easily enough. "Rowena and Crowley are on their way. They're gonna try and figure out what went wrong with the spell, why the chains weren't working on Chuck. As for Michael…" Adam blinked his eyes open at once, looking over. "Any idea when he might be waking up?" Sam glanced over at Dean.

The oldest Winchester grimaced. "Nah, man, he's still out cold." Adam frowned.

Well- that was okay, right? They had a plan, they were all back together again, for the most part. Once Michael woke up, they'd be connected again, and then they could all figure out how to kick Chuck's ass into the Cage. Adam sat back, closing his eyes again, and fought back another bubbling, churning rush of nausea, biting his tongue and swallowing hard with a soft, silent sigh.

They had work to do.


	64. Chapter 64

Later that night, after everyone else had retreated to their rooms to rest, Lucifer paced back and forth quietly across the floor of the main room. He was making an effort to keep his steps light as possible, so not to wake the ones who were sleeping; Sam, Dean, Adam and Gabriel were all resting in their various, separate rooms, while Castiel and Jack were… well, actually Lucifer didn't really know where they were. A part of him itched to have some kind of knowledge as to where his own son was, but at the same time, he had to shake that off. He had to get used to it. Jack was fine with Castiel; Lucifer trusted his brother, at least, to be the father to Jack that Lucifer just… couldn't be. He didn't know how to be a dad. Hell, he'd already failed once.

The Devil narrowed his eyes for a moment, looking toward the stairs. Rowena and Crowley should be arriving soon, according to Gabriel at least. As much as Lucifer would welcome a rest right about then, he was staying awake so that he could greet them, explain the plan, and get them to sleep, as well. Adam had pretty much forced everyone to rest - at least those who seemed like they needed it. Well - Gabriel didn't need to be forced. His brother could hardly keep his eyes open when Lucifer had gone in there to wake him, so Lucifer had just let him go back to sleep. Sam and Dean, though, Adam all but locked them in their rooms.

The demon, he knew, was hoping to connect with Michael through their dreams again. Lucifer hoped he could, too. Maybe he could get his older brother to wake up faster, like seriously.

The only one Adam hadn't managed to force to sleep was Lucifer; there wasn't really much of anything the demon could force him to do. Lucifer had proved over and over again that, yes, he could kick Adam's ass to the ground effortlessly, and that hadn't changed even with the revelation that his best frenemy was half-angel now, as well. Sure, Adam had tried his best to convince Lucifer to sleep after realizing he couldn't force him, but the Devil had made a compelling argument; _no_, and _fuck you_, and after cursing him out, the demon had eventually retreated back to his own room, and Lucifer was left awake and alone in the bunker.

He remembered a time where he'd actively try and use this against the Winchesters; like it was some kind of position of power, having access to every part of the bunker. He could easily kill Sam and Dean in their sleep if he was so compelled, and a long time ago, he would have been. It was kind of funny how much things changed, though, because as Lucifer paced the length of the room, he felt… somewhat numb to the thought. He didn't want to hurt the Winchesters. The revelation surprised him, even after all this time - he wasn't sure he had reached the point where he'd be all dewy-eyed and sweet with them, but at least for the time being, they just… weren't on his hit list. _They _weren't his enemy. They hadn't been for a long time.

… truthfully enough, they were only his enemies because that's what Chuck had wanted. That still left Lucifer seething. But, like he was so used to doing now, he pushed it down and locked it away somewhere deep in his own chest where it would eat at him from the inside out and, eventually, would be his ultimate unraveling. What a very… human thing to do.

He understood why they did it, though. To keep some kind of sanity. Some form of self-respect..

Lucifer sighed, closing his eyes for a moment and pausing his pacing to lean against one of the tables instead. He was tired - just not in the way everyone else was. No, this exhaustion was more emotional than anything, and it weighed down on him harder than any other type of fatigue possibly could. This whole situation was _draining_, emotionally and physically, and Lucifer found it harder and harder to keep himself _moving _throughout the whole ordeal. Chuck's escape had nearly been a breaking point - and to be completely honest, it was actually still somewhat in effect. It was like his emotions couldn't decide between anger, fear, desperation and just an all-around sense of sadness that made him feel like absolute _shit _and had him wanting to just crawl into a hole, cover himself up and not move until it was all over.

You'd think that proving himself right would be more satisfying than this. _Oh, hey, look, God was the villain all along! Not me! I was right! Fuck you, Winchesters!_ But, no. No, actually, Lucifer was really beginning to hate the fact that he was right. And wishing he wasn't. Everything was so much easier when he was the villain, wasn't it? He didn't have to worry about saving the world, he didn't have to worry about other people dying, he didn't have to worry about whether he would win or not. It was always his own life on the line and nobody else's, and he was fine with that. If he won, he lived, great. If he lost, he died, also great. It wasn't like he had anything to live for, did he? His entire existence had just been based around _God _anyway.

Nothing had changed on that particular front, except now Lucifer was just… tired.

Tired of playing his Father's game. He'd gone along with it for so long, thinking that he could eventually find a way to _really _break free of the puppetmaster's strings and show everyone else the truth about God once and for all. And he'd played along so long, played the _villain _for so long, that trying to do anything else was just exhausting. Suddenly, he had other people's safety to worry about. Suddenly, he was working alongside the Winchesters, civilly, and actually beginning to _like it_. Suddenly, he was worried about losing. Because if he lost, they lost. And Lucifer really didn't want them to lose. They didn't _deserve _to lose.

These humans, these people - the creations God was supposed to adore, the ones he thought were his favorites way back when… Lucifer had been telling the truth when he told Adam that he'd known the game was rigged from the jump. But he hadn't realized that Chuck genuinely didn't _care_ for humanity until it was too late. He'd always known the angels were just tools. It had taken him a little while to see that the humans weren't exactly better off.

They were innocent, most of them, Lucifer was beginning to see. Even the Winchesters. So suddenly, not only was he on their side, but suddenly, he wanted them to win. With every fiber of his being, he wanted them to win. And it wasn't just because they were facing off against Chuck anymore; it was because the way he was playing all of them was just ridiculous, even Sam and Dean, and Lucifer was just done with it. Chuck, his 'story', his villains, his manipulation.

The Devil scowled a little, rubbing his forehead, then paused, blinked, and turned.

Coming face to face with Crowley was, admittedly, what he was already expecting before he'd turned around - he could feel the demon's power from a mile away, and he wasn't at all oblivious to what was going on inside of the bunker right then, already on high alert - but, of course, he could have done without having to face Crowley right then. He already felt like shit, but… this is why he had stayed up, so he had to deal with the demon and his mother for now. Maybe he could pull an Adam and send them off to sleep or something. "Welcome back."

"Mm, charmed." Crowley rolled his eyes and glanced back over his shoulder for a second as the door opened - presumably Rowena, entering, now - and Lucifer shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned back, crossing one of his legs over the other and staring back at the demon calmly when he turned back to face him. "Squirrel and Moose are off in dreamland, I presume."

"Sleeping like babies," Lucifer replied simply, looking back over at Rowena as she entered, carrying a pile of books and a few bags on her shoulders. Crowley turned, once again, toward his mother - then simply raised a hand and snapped his fingers, teleporting the books and the bags onto the tables instead. Rowena said nothing, but she offered her son a grateful look and gave Lucifer a slight nod as she walked over to one of the tables, sifting through for something in particular. "There's no need to disturb them, right?"

"Oh, no. For the time being, they're quite irrelevant. Well- Sam would be useful," Crowley huffed out a sigh, looking back over at the Devil. "But I'm sure we'll get by without him, either way." He turned away and headed over to where Rowena was, picking up one of the bags to dump it out over the table; Lucifer snapped his fingers before the demon could do so, the bag disappearing from Crowley's hands and the contents laid out across the table in barely more than a second. He couldn't risk the noise waking up the Winchesters and Adam - mostly because then he'd have a very grumpy Adam Milligan on his hands, and even if he could take Adam in a fight any day, nobody wanted to deal with him while he was _tired_-pissed, not even Lucifer.

Crowley spared him an irritated look, but he turned back to what he was doing easily enough.

"Any word from Amara yet?" Rowena flicked her gaze over to Lucifer, and the Devil paused, just for a second, his mouth twisting into a frown as his mind flashed back to his aunt. Honestly, in the chaos, he had somewhat forgotten about her. She hadn't returned from wherever Chuck had taken her off to, though, and while a part of Lucifer was tempted to go looking for her just to make sure she was okay, he figured it might be best to wait it out first. They needed to stick together for the most part now, and Chuck wasn't powerful enough to seriously hurt Amara - especially not now, after he had likely used up all his energy in the fight.

"No. She and Daddy-o are probably wrecking part of the universe fighting right now as we speak," Lucifer remarked, frowning a little as he made his way over to them now. "Why?" He questioned carefully, leaning sideways against the table and glancing down at the items spread across it. A few hex bags, some cloths and other various ingredients for spells and such…

"I was hoping she could identify this." Rowena turned back to one of the other bags, pulling it open and pulling out the sword. It was still stained with Dean's blood, and long dried by now. The entire thing was pure gold, from the handle to the blade itself; the handle, stained with bloody fingerprints, twisted and coiled up the base of the sword, an intricate design that reminded Lucifer of only one place in particular; The sword practically radiated Heaven vibes, but even then, staring at it now, he couldn't recognize it. It wasn't anything he'd ever seen. Maybe similar, in some respects, but otherwise… "It is from Heaven, isn't it?"

"Definitely looks like it," Lucifer agreed, watching Rowena walk over to place the blade down on the table. The Devil stared at it, but he didn't move to touch it, his eyes narrowing faintly. "But it's nothing I've ever seen before, for sure. Then again, I'm sure Heaven got a few upgrades even after I took the swan dive, so someone else might recognize it. Michael, maybe, when he wakes up." He frowned a little, looking back toward the hallway, before he looked back to Rowena.

"Perhaps," Rowena conceded, but she didn't seem too happy. "It might have something to do with him being unconscious, however." At this, Lucifer's shoulders tensed slightly, and Rowena continued grimly, "I can't be sure, though. Until we can identify the sword, the basic function of it…" She shook her head, and Lucifer exhaled sharply, shutting his eyes. "I could be wrong, of course," the witch added, "but it's always good to be cautious."

"Yeah, it is," Lucifer sighed, twisting his hands slightly in his pockets. Well, explaining this to Adam should be fucking _great_, as if the demon didn't have enough on his plate regarding Michael. Once again, his own feelings on the situation were brushed aside; Didn't matter that the idea of his brother being in deeper trouble than he knew made his chest tighten up, the idea of him being hurt on a deeper level than Lucifer understood making his blood boil, the need to find Chuck and destroy him just on the possibility that he had done something to Michael that Lucifer might not be able to fix - no, it didn't matter. He'd spent so long doing nothing but focusing on himself, on how _he _felt and how much _he _was hurting and to be completely honest, the Devil was just about as done with himself as he was with his Father.

He tugged lightly at the insides of his pockets and closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and shaking his head a little. Finally, though, there was just no amount of pushing and shoving that could keep it all down; He could feel his walls cracking at the edges, on the verge of crumbling, and he wasn't going to break in front of Crowley and Rowena. He ran his tongue over his lips - though it did absolutely nothing, as his mouth had gone completely dry by then - and cleared his throat, turning away. "Well, you guys have fun with your witchy hoodoo stuff." He spun around without waiting for a response, his casual expression cracking as he headed for the library. It was the best place to be right then - he didn't want to take a room in the bunker, even though there were several empty ones to occupy. He didn't have any intentions of sleeping, anyway, he just needed a moment alone to pull himself together again.

Once inside, he sank back against one of the bookshelves, closed his eyes, and just breathed.

He should have never let Chuck get away. He shouldn't have left Michael alone. He should have healed Dean, despite the hunter's objections. He shouldn't have let his brother handle it himself. Then Michael would be awake - maybe? Fuck, Lucifer didn't even know at this point. He just knew that his oldest brother was unconscious, his aunt was gone, his Father was _insane_, and here he was, scrambling to pick up the pieces and he didn't even know why. _Why _he cared so much now, why he was struggling so hard, why it was so, so _difficult _for him to keep himself _together _through all of this. Every passing second felt like the weight on his shoulders was just getting heavier and heavier, so much responsibility and confusion and all of these things to plan for, every situation to consider, every shattered, broken piece to pick up with his bare hands, and he was just cutting himself more and more in the process, growing more frantic.

And right then, he was suffocating in those pieces. They were stuck in his throat, his chest, his lungs, every breath in cutting him up even more from the inside out. He couldn't breathe - he didn't need to breathe, but just the fact that he _couldn't _sent off warning bells and, thus, made him lightheaded, weak with panic, the swirling ocean of confusion and desperation and helplessness that he had worked so hard to build a dam around was breaking free at last. There was just too much - too much to account for, too much to do, and so little time to do it.

The Devil watched his own hands begin to tremble, felt his legs going numb, watched the room spin and spiral around him in dizzying bursts that made him feel like he was spiraling, and he knew what it was immediately; It was a panic attack. He wasn't unfamiliar with the concept. But he was unfamiliar with having them when there weren't any bars closing around him, when there wasn't any fire flickering at the corners of his vision, the only light he could see in the darkness. He was unfamiliar with having panic attacks when there were other people nearby - not in the same room, but nearby. He was unfamiliar with panicking when there was nothing to panic about - but then again, there had to be something, otherwise he wouldn't be panicking.

Lucifer shook his head a little at himself, rubbing his hands together slightly in a half-hearted attempt to ease the tremors. Calming himself down was never an easy feat, but it never quite stopped him from trying. It was kind of funny - he'd never actually felt any _positive _emotions, for sure, but he also never used to feel negativity even to his extent. At least, not this kind of negativity. Anger and betrayal and the occasional sadness, he could cope with. But this anxiety, this fear, this confusion and hopelessness - was there a return address? He didn't want it.

He let his head fall back against the bookshelf behind him, lifting his eyes to the ceiling. He cracked his mouth open slightly, sucking in a deep breath and frowning at the scents that flickered to life against his tongue in the process. He'd always thought the air in the bunker was… sharp, in a way, cold and stabbing, but it was welcome right then, as the icy feeling scraping against his throat took his mind off of the glass that he felt was still lodged there. Pulling his thoughts to a standstill, he shut his eyes and breathed in again.

There we go. Easy, in and out, and… and someone was in the library.

He snapped his mouth shut, swallowed, and composed himself in one breath, blinking his eyes open and turning to look. He knew who it was before he'd even had the chance to turn his head completely, to be honest - there was a sense of familiarity in the room, in a strange but understanding way he had never felt around anyone else. Just one person. And, aside from that, the tension in the room had suddenly thickened further, the panic in the air intensifying, spiraling into an endless pit of distrust and wariness, the same emotions he saw reflected in the hazel eyes of his true vessel Sam Winchester when their gazes met.

Lucifer tucked his hands into his pockets again, mostly to hide the way his fingers were still trembling ever so slightly. Judging by the way Sam's hands flicked downwards, the Devil figured he might have seen anyway, but the hunter said nothing for a while, just shifted back and forth on his feet in the doorway, as if uncertain as to whether or not he should enter - or whether or not he was allowed to. Lucifer genuinely couldn't tell - but he knew Sam wasn't going to be making the first move or putting in the first word, so he added the extra weight to his own shoulders, carrying the burden of trying to figure out what to say first, instead.

There was nothing easy about talking to Sam, that was for sure. Lucifer could hardly look at the man at this point - because when he did, all he saw was his past mistakes, the things his Father had made him do. But even worse were the things he had done on his own accord, the things he enjoyed doing. Breaking free of his Father's strings allowed him a little more understanding, a little more sympathy, for certain - but even he couldn't hand all the blame over to Chuck. There were just too many things he'd done at this point for them all to be his Father's fault - some things had to be his own, and he was, to be honest, done trying to even it out anyway.

"Adam's gonna kick your ass," the Devil sighed, running his tongue over his lips again and feeling a small bit of relief when he was finally able to wet them a little - the dryness was a little more than uncomfortable. Sam, to Lucifer's surprise, actually huffed out a laugh at that, the sound seeming to stick in his throat for a good few seconds before it escaped. He didn't meet Lucifer's gaze again, slowly flicking his eyes around the library instead, and Lucifer brought his gaze back to the floor in response, somewhat relieved that the hunter wasn't looking at him - that just made it easier not to have to look back at him in response. "Can't sleep?"

"No, not really." Sam rubbed the back of his neck, tousling his own hair a little bit in the process. Lucifer spared a glance up, not moving an inch, as the hunter finally ventured a little further into the room, somewhat reluctantly in his approach; But he didn't move toward Lucifer, simply headed around to another set of bookshelves, still refusing to look the Devil's way. "Too much on my mind, I guess," the hunter added distractedly, looking through the books.

Lucifer's mouth twitched slightly, staying silent for a while. He understood that, especially now - there were too many thoughts in his head, too many emotions swirling around inside of him. He didn't think he'd ever be able to sleep if he had to, not now. Then again, soon enough, he wouldn't have much of a choice… he shook his head, stifling those thoughts. "How's Dean?"

Sam paused, glancing over at him, and he hesitated a little bit before turning away once more. "He's fine. Sleeping," the hunter replied simply, pulling a book off of the shelf. Lucifer flicked his gaze toward it, only briefly, to read the title - 'The Art of War', an interesting choice - before he looked back down. His hands were still shaking, the only sign of his ever-present anxiety, and one he could keep hidden rather easily. It wasn't a lie if nobody talked about it, if nobody asked, he didn't have to answer. Loopholes to the whole honesty thing - something Lucifer had forgotten in the long run, but something he was trying to uphold now, as if maybe it could take away from the lies he'd spun before. The Devil pressed his lips together and burrowed his hands deeper into his pockets, closing his eyes and trying to slow his thoughts down again.

He glanced up when Sam moved again, the hunter walking over to sit down at one of the tables and opening the book in front of him. His shoulders were tense, his abnormally long legs bouncing restlessly even as he sat down, fingers twitching against the pages and tapping against the table - every sign pointed to uneasiness, nervous, and Lucifer knew why, of course - he was sitting in a room with his worst nightmare, too polite to ask him to leave, or to leave himself, but too scared to completely relax. Lucifer sucked in a breath through his teeth and looked away again, the soft tremors creeping up his arms, toward his shoulders.

The guilt was yet another thing he could do without - and would rather do without.

He was trying to make it right, even though he wasn't sure why. Trying to build everyone up - pep talks for Adam, encouragement for Michael, trying to open up to Castiel and letting his guard down completely around Gabriel. Jack, he was still at a loss on what to do there, at the moment he was just trying to stay out of the kid's way and give him time with the only ones who had actually been like fathers to him in the first place. And then there was Sam - Sam who he wanted to talk to, was _desperate _to talk to, but when it came to the hunter, no words came.

Lucifer chewed on the inside of his cheek and clenched his fists tight. Trying to stop the shaking just made it worse, so he simply stood there, half-propped up against the bookshelf, too exhausted to do anything but stare at the floor and let himself stew in his own self-loathing for a moment, the helplessness capturing him in a dizzying, endless cycle of bitterness that he wasn't sure he could break free of - nor one he was sure he wanted to break free of. Unconsciously, his foot twitched once against the ground, and then began a slow, steady, quiet rhythm of tapping.

It was kind of calming, actually.

Unfortunately, that's when Sam began to notice. If Lucifer had known the hunter was capable of looking at him - much less studying him, as he was doing now - he would have forced himself to stand still, and if he couldn't, he would have just left. But Sam was watching his every movement, every twitch and tap and every subtle shift in his expressions. So when the Devil looked up, and saw Sam's gaze so intently fixed on him, a mixture of confusion and uncertainty, Lucifer jumped, stiffened, and went completely still all at once.

Sam's face flushed slightly, looking away again, a sheepish look replacing the expression that had previously been there. Lucifer took a deep breath, rubbing his fingers together with both hands and struggling to calm the shaking again, though it had receded once more to his fingers, unnoticeable while his hands were still in his pockets. "Sorry, I just…" Sam trailed off, mouth twisting sharply, and the Devil grimaced and glanced back up at him, silent. "... are you okay?"

Boy, that was a question Lucifer was used to. From Michael, at least - and he always found a way to avoid answering it with one-hundred percent complete honesty - and when Gabriel asked, on the rare occasion that he _did _ask, Lucifer would allow some things to slip. Only a fraction of what was troubling him, and only things Gabriel would understand. He wasn't going to dump a load of crap on his brothers, he wasn't going to talk about his problems when they all had much bigger things to worry about. So Luci felt bad, boohoo. He was done making it all about him, anyway. Let someone else have the spotlight for a change. Let them be vulnerable. He was just too tired at this point.

Lucifer blinked, snapping out of his thoughts long enough to realize he hadn't answered the hunter yet, and he half-opened his mouth to respond for just a second before he shut it again, also realizing he hadn't quite thought of a response that would be truthful enough to satisfy him and then a way to change the subject before he could ask any further questions. He wanted to say yes, he wanted to say he was fine, he wanted to say even _he _wasn't sure if he was okay but the truth was that those were all _lies_ because he knew for a fact that he wasn't okay, he wasn't fine, but saying no wasn't an option here and he wasn't going to flat-out lie to the hunter's face after everything he'd already done. So he opened his mouth to say "okay as I can be considering the circumstances", which wasn't a total lie, but…

But… well, that wasn't what came out when his mouth opened, and he wasn't sure how to deal with what did. "I'm…" The words caught in his throat, he heard them leaving, but he didn't feel himself _saying _them, and it was the oddest thing ever. "... sorry."

It wasn't long after the last word left his lips that the Devil stiffened, pupils shrinking slightly as he stared at Sam. His throat clenched up, like someone had just wrapped their fingers around it and started squeezing with everything they had. Unable to breathe and yet not needing to breathe, he just looked at the hunter as the tremors in his fingers burst back to life in his hands, spreading up and up and going even further than just his shoulders now. They spread down across his spine, making Lucifer shiver, and he finally took his eyes off of Sam's shocked face to look back down again, lips parting as if to speak again, but nothing would come out now.

He was… confused. He'd just apologized, and he was confused. Confused as to why he suddenly felt like he was about to explode, like a volcano about to erupt, like those two words had been his complete undoing and he was right there, _right there_ on the edge. A lump formed in his throat, rising higher and higher, pushing a familiar warmth to his eyes that just made him panic even further, because yes, this was happening _now_, and he couldn't stop it.

Like everything else, _he couldn't stop it._

Lucifer's entire body was shaking, but he was silent as he slowly slid down to the floor, his back pressed even harder against the bookshelf and his hands never leaving his pockets. His legs felt numb, and he hardly even felt his knees pressing against his chest as he doubled over, screwing his eyes shut and just trying to regulate his breathing, to get his shaking back to normal. The worst part about this panic was that he was completely aware of it; He knew what was happening, he knew it was his own anxiety being used against him, the flames that had been simmering finally bursting to life and burning him from the inside out. He knew what it was, but even then, as he sat there, trembling, tears brewing up behind his eyelids, he couldn't stop. He was _weak_, he was _damaged_, he was _tired_ and he was _broken_…

And Sam Winchester was sitting just a few feet away, helpless to do anything but watch as the Devil finally cracked, too tired, even now, to hold himself together any longer.

"Everything I did," he groaned, his voice shaking even worse than his body was as he ducked his head, pressing his mouth against his trembling knees and keeping his eyes shut. "There's just no way I can fix it all in time," he whispered to himself, almost forgetting that Sam was there. "There's no way I can fix what he's done- what I've done- what he's _doing_, I just- I can't- I…" The tears in his eyes pushed harder, desperate to escape, but he was just as desperate to hold them in as long as he could. It was almost a game now, _see how long Lucifer could bottle everything up before he spontaneously combusted_. "It's not fair," he mumbled, regaining some composure, just enough, to bring some confidence back to his voice. At least this, he was confident in; None of this, in any way, shape, or form, was fair. To anyone. "It's not fair."

"... I know." Sam's voice was quieter, softer than Lucifer would have expected toward _him _of all people. It just made Lucifer feel even worse, to be honest, but he wasn't going to say that. "I know it's not. None of this is…" The hunter huffed out a laugh, though there was no humor in his tone nor the conversation. The Devil shook his head and pulled one hand out of his pocket, still shaking as he rubbed his arm across his eyes, scrubbing hard to wipe the tears away.

"I hate him. I hate him so _much_-" Lucifer's voice broke, cracking on the last word, despite his best attempts to keep himself steady. "For everything he's doing- everything he's _done_ and it's not fair- he doesn't get to be the villain- he doesn't get to make _me _the villain and then-" He stopped, sucking in a gasp, the tears returning, finally forcing him to open his eyes, as if there were too many brewing behind his eyelids for him to be able to keep them anymore. "I don't understand why he's _doing _this," he choked out, cringing back slightly at the feeling of the tears escaping, coursing down across his face on both sides. He rubbed them away as they fell. "It was so much easier when I could pretend he was as righteous as he acted, it was so much easier when I didn't _care_\- why did he- why-" He let his breath out in a sharp huff, almost a sob but not quite getting there just yet. "Why did he make me like _this_?"

"Why did he make any of us like this?" Sam offered a helpless shrug, looking just as lost as Lucifer felt. But there was something else on the hunter's face now, flickering through his eyes, a little bit of sympathy he had been lacking before. Lucifer hated that, actually - he didn't want Sam to sympathize with him. Hell, a part of him wanted the hunter to tell him Chuck didn't make him into a villain, that he was the villain all along, that he did this all to himself - because even that would be better than accepting that he was only made to be miserable and _evil _and _lonely_, only made to break everything he touched, only made to create trouble and problems and… "It's not," the hunter added, slightly hesitant, "it's not fair. Especially what he did to you."

Lucifer choked out a laugh at that, more tears rising to his eyes.

"It was hard to understand at first. Hard to- to accept it, I guess." Sam looked down for a moment, his expression shifting slightly as he put the book down on the table and sat back. "But I know you didn't… you didn't ask for any of this. You didn't ask to be this… _you_, and- hell, maybe none of us even know _you _at all." His mouth twisted, flicking his gaze back up to Lucifer. "Does that make sense?"

Lucifer shook his head a little, exhaustion finally replacing the pain exploding in his chest, like fireworks, jarring him with each burst and flash. Instead of pretty lights and colors, though, it was just agony. So he was relieved when, finally, he was feeling tired again. Numb and tired, finally able to push down the swirling mess of guilt and pain that had been building up inside of him ever since he'd woken up in the Empty. "Nothing makes sense," he breathed out, wiping the tears away again, a little harsher this time, before tucking his hands into his pockets. "Not anymore." He looked down again, eyes flickering from one thing to the other, anxiously bouncing his gaze around now that he was unable to look Sam in the face once again.

"Yeah. But- hey," Sam raised his voice, just a bit, and Lucifer spared a glance back up at him, holding the hunter's gaze as their eyes met, and Sam leaned forward a little bit. "It doesn't have to. Whatever happened back then, it doesn't-"

"Don't say it doesn't matter," Lucifer interrupted tiredly, blue eyes dulling just a little bit more as he stared at the hunter. "Please."

Sam only fell silent for a few seconds before he sat back again, looking down at his hands, and his mouth twisted into a grimace as he sighed, cleared his throat, and nodded. "It does matter. You're right. I mean, there's still things- things that happened. Hell, the Cage, the… all of it. But-"

"It's more than just the _Cage_, Sam," Lucifer cut in desperately, the pain throbbing at his chest again, but it was easier to stifle now than it was, as if the brief release - however small it might have been - was enough to satisfy it for the time being. "I- hell, the Cage- I didn't even do anything in _there_. The Cage was probably the one place I didn't _have _to do anything to you-" He stopped, swallowed, and cut himself off, looking away from Sam before he could see the slight shift in his expression. "It's more than…"

"You…" Sam spoke up, slowly, as the Devil trailed off, and Lucifer squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, taking a deep breath and letting it out in a huff. "... _you _didn't torture me? In the Cage?"

Lucifer stayed silent for a while, looking down. That was something he'd never admitted to the hunter, for many reasons; Hell, he didn't even admit it to Adam or Michael, they had figured it out themselves after only a little while in the Cage. At least, his brother did - Adam took a little longer to figure it out than Michael had, probably sometime after Lucifer had been freed… the Devil shook his head a little, sighing. He had gone on to let Sam think he had tortured him way back when, never finding the right moment to bring it up and never really wanting to admit that, even back then, he had held some form of the weakness he felt now. Even to himself. Hell, for a while there, he had almost managed to delude himself into believing he _had _tortured Sam then. How fucked up was that?

"No, I… the Cage was designed to punish me, not just imprison me. Dad figured… I _guess _he figured the best way to do that would be to show me what it was like to feel like a human, to have all my twisted little thoughts and fears used against me." He clenched his fists, his hands shaking a little harder now, while Sam just stared. "He wanted to show me what it was like to have nightmares. That's what the Cage _does_, Sam. It takes what you're scared of and turns it against you. You know… like a fear landscape, but instead of helping you get over your fears, it… uses them to break you down."

Sam sank back slightly in the chair, staring at him with a mixture of disbelief and confusion written across his face. Lucifer just fell silent, struggling to keep his gaze fixed on the hunter. But he didn't move his gaze, and Sam wasn't showing any signs of looking away anytime soon. Finally, though, he did speak again, quiet and horrified. "I'm so sorry."

"Wha-?" Lucifer broke off slightly, not even able to utter the whole word, too stunned to even spit _that _out. So he just stared, disbelief replacing the confusion.

"All this time." Sam shook his head slightly, running his fingers through his hair sharply and staring at the Devil with a frown, while Lucifer just stared, confused. "Why didn't you say anything? I mean- hell, wouldn't have believed you anyway," he muttered, almost to himself, as he sat back again, and Lucifer allowed a dry smile to appear on his face, looking down again. Sure, he'd let Sam believe that was one of the reasons he hadn't told him, though that was far from the truth in any case. He hadn't told him because he was scared Sam _would _believe him.

"That's not the _point_," the Devil insisted after a moment, taking a deep breath. "I still did all those things, I still- I still fucked up beyond repair and I can't even figure out how to begin fixing it."

"But you want to fix it," Sam pointed out quietly, with barely a few second's hesitation, and Lucifer closed his eyes for a moment, not sure why he'd been expecting any less from the hunter. "That's a start, isn't it? You've still got time. Especially after we take care of Chuck."

At that, Lucifer blinked his eyes open and stared at him, then slowly flicked his gaze back down, his hands twisting slightly into his pockets. Instead of responding, he just hesitated, opening and closing his mouth, wanting to respond but not wanting to say what he knew he should say to that. So instead of telling the truth, and instead of telling a lie, Lucifer just took a deep breath, and heaved himself back to his feet, grimacing slightly as he did so. "Amara's been gone for too long. I'm gonna see if I can track her. Make sure she's not bleeding in a ditch somewhere."

"Okay." Sam paused, and seemed to hesitate before he added, "... be careful."

Lucifer just stared at him for a moment in complete, utter silence before looking away again, spreading his wings, and taking off.


	65. Chapter 65

Adam was stretched out in his bed, half-propped up against the headboard and half-laying down. He had given up trying to sleep a while ago; He had drifted off a few times, and in that time he had struggled and searched for Michael throughout his dreams, but he couldn't find the archangel. It was worrying, but not surprising. His old body-buddy wasn't asleep - he was unconscious, and there was a difference there. He might not even be dreaming at all - though of course that was entirely possible, too - but he was still unconscious, even in his dreams, while he was comatose. So all Adam could do was wait, and pray he would wake up soon.

He ran his thumb up and down one of the pages in John's journal, quietly just flipping through the leather-bound book to see if he had written anything interesting. Aside from the monsters, at least - there were a few more personal notes, but nothing that Adam particularly cared for. He did find something about John going to Minnesota - on a ghoul hunt, go figure - but there wasn't much to read about that. The next few pages had been torn out, as if he had written something down and then torn it out after a second thought, something he just wanted to keep to himself.

Someone he just wanted to keep to himself.

Uninterested, he left the page to skip forward a bit, sighing a little to himself. Another rush of pain flooded his stomach, another surge of dizziness overtaking him, and he sighed, grimaced, and closed his eyes for a moment, struggling to push past it. At this point, it was nothing more than a nuisance; He didn't even care anymore, he could handle the pain and dizziness and nausea for sure, but he'd still rather not _have _to. It wasn't exactly _pleasant_. And this is coming from a borderline masochist. He rubbed his hand down his face and scowled.

Eventually, he did push himself to sit up completely, sighing a little and reaching over to turn the lamp on. He had left the lights off even though he was reading, his senses obviously sharp enough to be able to see easily in the darkness, but he was starting to get sick of it anyway. He wasn't tired, and without being able to connect to Michael, he saw no point in trying to sleep otherwise, so having the light off was unnecessary anyway. He turned his head to look around, flicking his gaze around the room quietly, then frowned a little and looked toward the door, which he'd left open just in case. He wanted a beer, but… he didn't want to get up…

He looked down at his hands, putting the book down in front of him on the bed. He hadn't exactly promised Michael he _wouldn't _use his powers, but he had promised that he wouldn't do it enough to burn off the rest of his humanity - or, at the very least, he wouldn't let himself become a villain if he somehow did. But, as soon as the thought came, he dismissed it; Yes, he had super cool powers he could use whenever he wanted to, at the expense of burning the rest of his humanity away - which, to be fair, he wasn't too worried about anyway - but he was also aware that there was no point using the powers, however cool they might be, unless he absolutely needed to do so. This wasn't fun and games anymore, like it was with Bela. This was serious, and Adam had to treat it as such; He could get up and go get himself a beer. He had two working legs that _wouldn't _burn off the rest of his humanity, and the kitchen wasn't far.

He pushed himself up off of the bed and stretched, raising his arms up above his head and slowly letting them drop back down with a sigh. He turned his head slightly toward the doorway again, then turned and headed off, making sure to be as quiet as possible, just in case his brothers actually _had _maybe done as he'd requested and went to sleep. They were no use against Chuck if they were half-dead on their feet and wounded. Adam knew it was a little hypocritical of him, considering he wasn't asleep, himself, like he'd planned on doing - but then again he wasn't the one with sleep-deprivation issues _and _he wasn't the one who'd just nearly died fighting against God, so, yeah, he was a little justified in staying awake. He'd sleep when he slept, no big deal, wasn't like he was tired anyway.

Making his way to the kitchen, he grabbed what he wanted - a beer, and, after a second thought, one more just because - and then made his way back to his room. He did stop on the way back, though, to check over what Crowley and Rowena were doing, mildly curious by all the weird spellbooks and ingredients on the tables, but even more so intrigued by the sword.

"Hello, Hellhound," Crowley greeted him pleasantly, and Adam didn't dignify the little nickname with a response, just spared him a glance and looked back down at the sword. He shifted the beers to one arm to move over, reaching out as if to touch it - but pulling back when Rowena gave him a slightly warning glare. He wasn't scared of the witch - though he figured he should be, to be honest, just 'cause - but he wasn't going to step on her toes for no reason. She was the one going over all of this crap, so he wouldn't mess with her work, curious or not.

"Where'd Lucifer go?"

"Who knows, who cares?" Crowley dismissed easily enough. "He did go into the library, but I heard wings flapping, so he likely took off somewhere. I don't know." The demon shrugged, and Adam turned his head slightly to look toward the library, then just shrugged and looked back at the other two, uninterested. He planned on going back to his own room and actually getting through John's journal, though checking out that library was definitely one of his goals. Eventually.

Rowena offered Adam a kind smile, looking somewhat amused by her son's words, but adding nothing to the subject and instead asking, "did you need something, dearie?"

There was something about her smile - some sort of warmth, almost… motherly. It drained the rest of the tension from Adam's shoulders, helped him to relax just a little bit more. It reminded him of his own mother, the kind of sweet friendliness Kate had always carried. "Nah." He held up one of the beers, allowing a smile of his own to tug at the corners of his mouth. "Can't sleep, so I'm gonna drink, read and try to figure out the rest of our plan. Lucifer fill you in?"

"No." Rowena tilted her head.

"Of course he didn't," Adam muttered with a frustrated sigh, closing his eyes for a moment. _Someone's gotta fill them in, right? _The Devil had told him, hands in his pockets, leaning casually against one of the tables and shrugging at the demon. _Go rest. I got this. _And, of course, Adam had actually believed Lucifer would fill them in, believed he _wouldn't _get distracted by… whatever the hell he'd been distracted by… but he brushed it off easily enough, shaking his head slightly at himself. No time to be bitter about that, was there? It was out of his mind almost immediately, turning his attention back to Rowena and Crowley. "Well, basically, Chuck's off and doing whatever the hell he's doing. So we're gonna let him get comfortable for a little while, let him think he's okay, and go after him when we finish up with the Cage. That way, by the time we actually do manage to go up against him again, we'll actually be ready instead of having to babysit him and worry about him breaking free while we finish everything up."

"Good," Crowley huffed a little, "now we can actually focus." He turned his attention away then, back to the ingredients spread across the table, and simply began picking through them in silence, seemingly tuning the other two out. Adam quirked an eyebrow at him, while Rowena rolled her eyes at her son and turned away again, giving Adam a dry smile this time. Even then, humorless as it was, it still somewhat reminded him of the smiles his mother would give him - and so, it was hard to keep his lips from twitching upwards again in response.

"Sounds like a good plan to me," the witch noted, studying him for a moment, and Adam blinked back at her as he lightly pushed himself away from the table, shifting the beers to his other arm and trying not to wince as he felt another stab of pain curling up in his stomach. He did react - just with the faintest twitch, as it had taken him by surprise - but he brushed it off easily enough, sighing, and finally turned to leave again - only to pause and look back when Rowena spoke up again, sounding oddly intrigued. "Are you hurt?"

Adam glanced back at her, not sure how to respond to that. He wasn't _technically _hurt, but he was _hurting_. "No," he finally responded, shaking his head a little. "Michael is, though. From the-" He gestured to his own stomach, and then the sword on the table, and Rowena's head tilted towards it for a second without breaking her gaze from his. "And, we're still connected, so. Yeah." He shrugged a little. "Guess he's still in pain or something- or Dean is, maybe."

Rowena's mouth twisted into a frown, then lifted into a pleasant smile once again, this time much too polite, too… formal, to be considered warm, or motherly. "Right, of course. Well, just so long as you're not injured, I suppose, dear. Sorry to keep you- scurry along, hit the books and give yourself liver poisoning," she laughed, and Adam just stared at her for a moment, eyes narrowing suspiciously, but he didn't say anything else on the subject. Just offered the red-head a curt half-nod in response before turning, once again, to continue on his way back to his room.

It wasn't too long after he had finally gotten settled again - sitting in his bed under the covers, lamp on, door open, John's journal spread open in his lap and an open beer bottle in his hand, the other one on the nightstand - that he was disturbed - by someone he least expected to see. The knocking at the doorway startled him, eyes flicking up at once, teeth bared, eyes dark.

Only to pause, blinking, when he saw who it was; It was Dean - surprisingly enough. And, at once, Adam's gaze began searching his face for any sign of Michael, any hint of the archangel present, but there was none. The demon grimaced, swallowed, and tried not to visibly deflate at the slight disappointment, instead clearing his throat and flicking his gaze back up to his oldest half-brother with a very, very disapproving frown appearing on his face, slowly but steadily. "This is like, the exact opposite of sleeping," he reminded the hunter, and the oldest Winchester just laughed a little, somewhat sheepishly, as he leaned against the doorway.

"Yeah… hey, though, I tried," Dean offered, folding his arms across his chest in a way that, oddly enough, kind of reminded Adam of Michael. But the possibility that it could be the archangel was gone; His best friend would have said something by now, and Adam would be able to tell, just by one glance into his eyes, one look at his face, no matter _who _he was wearing. "I just… I don't know. Too restless, I guess. Too…" He trailed off, seemingly searching for a word, and Adam brought himself back to his senses long enough to listen. "... quiet."

Despite himself, a dry smile twisted at Adam's mouth, lips tugging up at the corners. Dean didn't have to explain what he meant by that; the demon understood perfectly. "I know how you feel," he muttered under his breath, just loud enough for the hunter to hear. He turned his head, looking toward the unopened beer bottle sitting on the nightstand - and, with a quiet, huffing sigh, he glanced back at Dean and inclined his head toward it, a silent offer for the hunter to join him. His brother didn't hesitate; Shoving himself forward, away from the doorway, he crossed the room in just a few slow strides and plucked the beer bottle up by the neck, pulling out a chair and positioning himself beside the bed, half-facing Adam and half-facing the door.

"Dad's journal, huh?" The oldest Winchester managed an amused-looking grin as he looked down at the book in Adam's lap, causing the demon to pause, sparing a glance downwards at it. He puffed his cheeks out, sighed, and shrugged back at Dean in response.

"Yeah. Sam gave it to me a while ago." Adam stared down at the journal for a moment, eyebrows pinching together slightly, and he sank back against the headboard of the bed after a moment with another half-shrug in Dean's direction, lifting the bottle back to his lips and taking a long sip, swallowing it down in one gulp before he continued, "somethin' about learning about monsters, or something, I don't know. Pretty sure it was his version of an olive branch, though."

"Knowing Sam, it probably was," Dean noted, abruptly standing up - but only to turn the chair around so that he could sit backwards in it now, crossing his arms over the back of it and bringing his own bottle up to sip from it. "He's a good kid, y'know. Tries real hard - a little too hard, sometimes, but he always means well." He looked down at the bottle for a moment. Then, with a quiet little hum, he took another sip of his beer before asking, "so, how you doing?"

"All things considered? Not too bad," Adam hummed, flipping a page in the journal and tapping his fingers against the neck of the bottle. "Y'know… all things considered. How 'bout you?"

Dean arched an eyebrow at him, looking as if he understood that, then heaved out a heavy-sounding sigh and swallowed down a few more mouthfuls. "Not too bad. All things considered," he echoed the demon, who just nodded along slightly in his agreement. "But I didn't mean in regards to _this _current… situation we're in-" He gestured slightly with one hand. "I mean, y'know. After everything with Bela." He flicked his gaze toward the demon, and Adam finally lifted his own eyes to meet his oldest half-brother's, eyebrows quirking slightly.

"Fine," he responded curtly. "Like I said, _all things considered_. I'm not gonna spend my time moping over some girl. What's done is done. If what she told me was true, then she won't be bothering with Chuck anymore, and, obviously, I'm not there to manipulate her, so- she'll be fine, I'll be fine, and I'd like to get on with my life, throw God in the Cage, get Michael back and…" He trailed off for a moment, narrowing his eyes slightly in consideration, then let out a low grunt and sank back against the headboard again, a slight frown tugging at his lips now. "Well, I don't really know what's next… or what Mike'll plan to do, y'know, considering-" He pointed his bottle toward the ceiling, then lifted it up to take another sip. "Cross that bridge when we get to it."

Dean just nodded in agreement, letting his arms drape down over the back of the chair and swinging his bottle from side to side; Adam watched, slightly mesmerized by the movements. "Well, y'know, if Michael does decide not to go back to Heaven, the two of you are always welcome to stick around here," the hunter suggested idly, "I mean- you don't have to if you don't want to, but it'd be kinda nice to introduce you to hunting, teach you about things."

"Ooh, teach me how to be a true Winchester," Adam teased, though there was no hostility in his tone, no bitterness; just amusement, written clearly across his face as he looked away from Dean, instead turning his gaze back to the journal, himself. "Well, I don't know," he finally spoke up again, looking thoughtful. "Sam did mention something about learning how to hunt before. But, like I said, it depends on Michael. If he goes to Heaven, man, demon or not, I-"

"You're going with him," Dean interrupted. "I know. Trust me, I get it now - at least, as much as I can, anyway. You need each other," he emphasized, as Adam looked back over at him. "I've seen enough from his end to understand that. I wouldn't ask either of you to change it. Not now."

Adam arched an eyebrow, faintly curious by that. "Yeah?" Dean nodded, and Adam pursed his lips, looking thoughtful, for a good few seconds, before letting his breath out slowly through his teeth and shaking his head. Well, it certainly took his brother long enough to warm up to the archangel, but it definitely wasn't too late to do so; At least, now, the hunter _understood_; and he was finally accepting Michael, which was just making it easier for Adam to accept _him_. It seemed like Michael really did just bring out the best in everyone he came into contact with; which made it even harder for the demon to hate the fact that Michael was possessing Dean now, instead of him. Seeing the good that came out of it was making it a little easier to grasp.

"Well, good," the demon finally spoke up again. "At least you get it now. Michael's no monster."

Dean paused, only for a second, a very _slight _grimace appearing on his face - until, finally, the slight guarded expression crumbled, the walls that were left - that Michael hadn't unintentionally torn down himself - falling away. Dean leaned forward again, sinking his weight forward into the back of the chair, and pursed his lips somewhat thoughtfully for just a few seconds before he spoke up again, his voice a little quieter now. "Michael is… a lot of things," he finally allowed, slow and steady, "but to tell you the truth, I don't think _monster _is one of them."

"It never was," Adam replied, thinking back to the way Michael was before; just a soldier, following his Father's orders, even though he didn't want to. That didn't make him a monster, it just made him… obedient. It just made him somewhat naive, working for someone who really couldn't care less. And then, after everything, handling the truth so well given the circumstances, and still striving to be _better _and _better _after day, Adam couldn't see how anybody could even consider the idea that he was anything but good. "So how long did it take to change your mind?" The demon asked slowly, looking over at Dean. "Few seconds? A day?"

Dean snorted a little, and shook his head. "About five minutes," he finally replied, sinking his weight forward against the back of the chair. "Y'know, when the other Michael possessed me - I could feel it, right from the get-go, the second he was in my head, that it wasn't going to go down the way I'd intended it to. But by the time I realized that he wasn't going to uphold his end of the bargain, he was already… in my head. It was too late." His oldest brother shook his head, while Adam just nodded slightly in understanding. "But then, y'know, _Mike_," Dean emphasized, "just a few seconds with the guy, I knew every intention, every thought and feeling and worry in his head. He didn't care about anything else except making sure you were safe. It was all out in the open, y'know? Right there, nothing to hide-" He paused, shaking his head, and added, "well, except for everything with Lucifer, but even when he slipped up on that, he didn't _do _anything. He didn't try to lie, he didn't try to pretend it didn't happen, he just- he just kind of… I don't know. Even with that, you were still his first priority. So I had a lot of time to think about everything myself after that. I couldn't fill in all the blanks, but I knew one thing, for sure, that everything he was doing, or everything he'd done, it was all for… good. That _he _was good."

Adam looked back over at him, still silent, though he finally allowed himself to soften, somewhat, toward his oldest brother. A part of him also noted, beyond the fact that his time with the archangel had apparently softened the oldest Winchester, if only slightly, that this was especially good for Dean, helping him get over the trauma that the other Michael had left. Maybe it wouldn't all go away - maybe it couldn't - but it was like his best friend was still helping to heal those wounds, even if unintentionally, and that was just another reason Adam thought he was the best _being _in the world, how much he helped people. Even when he didn't _mean _to.

He snapped himself out of his thoughts, clearing his throat a little, and shook his head slightly with a sigh, looking back over at Dean and offering a small smile, not masked with dry humor or sarcasm - just… warm, as warm as he could make it. Dean's lips twitched upwards in response, his own expression softening considerably. "He _is _good," he murmured. "The best."

Dean chuckled a little, then cleared his throat, letting out a soft sigh and straightening up a little bit in the chair. "To Michael, huh?" The oldest Winchester reached out, offering his bottle to Adam, and, with a snort, the demon lifted his own.

"I'll drink to that." He lightly tapped Dean's bottle with his own, and they both sat back, lifting their bottles to their lips and each taking a sip; Adam finished off the rest of what he had, while Dean was nursing his a little slower than the demon was - and of course he was, he could actually get drunk. Didn't matter how fast or how slow Adam drank, it didn't work for him. A part of him thought that that was definitely ridiculous, considering he was still part human, but…

"So I've been thinking," Dean suddenly spoke up, spinning his bottle a little bit, and Adam leaned over to set his on the nightstand before sitting back in the bed again, nodding slightly at his brother to continue. "You can't reach Mike, can you?"

"Nope," Adam replied, popping the "p". "I'd be asleep right now if I could, but."

"That's what I thought." Dean huffed out a sigh, frowning a little, then shook his head slightly and continued, "well, I was thinking - if Mike can't wake himself up on his own, and if _you _can't find a way to weasel into his dreams somehow, I have another way you might be able to reach him. I mean, I'm not completely sure, especially considering _I _can't even find the guy, but you know his head better than I do." Adam tilted his head, intrigued now, as Dean gestured his bottle toward his own head. "You're a demon. And an angel- so you should be able to possess people. And, I mean, if you have to - if that's what it takes, maybe you can get in here and find him yourself."

Adam blinked at him, eyebrows furrowing slightly. It was an interesting plan, for sure - and it could, very well, work. Of course, he wasn't too sure, considering that he'd never possessed anyone before - and he didn't even know _how _to, for that matter - but Dean was right; He knew Michael better than the hunter did, and he'd woken him up several times himself, before, anyway. So, if need be, he could very well go into Dean's head and try and find Michael in there, and may even be able to bring him back…

"Or," Dean continued steadily, and Adam glanced up again. "You know, even if you can't find him, Amara said that one of the reasons she couldn't restore his powers was because he wasn't whole. 'Cause _you _weren't with him," Dean emphasized, and Adam arched an eyebrow. "So, you know, even if he's unconscious- if you _were _with him…"

"There's a possibility that she could heal him, bringing him back to full strength," Adam finished, eyebrows raising slightly as he contemplated the idea.

"Her or Jack, at least," Dean allowed, narrowing his eyes faintly in thought, and Adam nodded along in agreement, a little lost in his own thoughts now. "Like I said, y'know, it's just a possibility. Just in case he can't pull himself out of it. I mean, hell, it's been a while, and he still hasn't come to, y'know? It's always good to have a backup plan, just in case."

Adam nodded again, glancing back over at him. "Well, it's a good plan. Seems I'm not the only one with brains around here," he commented, then sighed. "One problem, though."

Dean arched an eyebrow at him, as if to say, _a problem? With my flawless plan? Are you sure? _And Adam almost laughed a little bit as the expression on his face, causing Dean's mouth to twitch, cracking into a grin, before they both turned serious again, both of them slightly amused now. "Usually is. What is it?" Dean chuckled, lifting the bottle back to his lips and tilting his head back, seemingly downing what was left, and reaching over to put the bottle on the nightstand beside Adam's before he had even swallowed down his mouthful.

"Well, considering I kind of went through the equivalent of a demonized divorce before I could finish my training with Bela…" Adam shrugged, crossing his legs under the blanket, and chuckled at the expression on Dean's face. "I don't know how to possess people."


	66. Chapter 66

Lucifer found his aunt, fuming, in the middle of a field. The trees around them had been leveled, some even burned straight to ash and a few still caught on fire. The ground was ripped up in certain spots; it was clear, beyond a doubt, that the two primordial entities had duked it out even harder than they had seemed to be in Chuck's house, and it was clear that Chuck had been losing, and bolted at the last second, because Amara was still at full strength, just pissed-looking and currently busying herself with ripping apart a few of the trees that weren't in the process of burning to the ground in her rage. Lucifer didn't know how long she had been there, how long it had been since Chuck had been out of her sight, but it didn't matter. It was already morning by the time he finally found her - the Devil was somewhat surprised there were no firefighters checking out the scene, as there was already a cloud of smoke billowing in the air, but he assumed they were too far out for anyone to have seen yet.

"Amara," he called out, but she didn't stop. Another rush of energy emitted from her, dark and pulsing, and Lucifer paused to watch the literal darkness emanating from her, quaking the ground beneath her and tearing apart whatever trees it hit, even snuffing out some of the flames from the fire as it rippled through the air and across the ground. It stopped just before it could hit him, and Lucifer simply studied the energy rippling through the air, something far beyond anything a human could see, before it fizzled out yet again, the tremors in the ground fading. And, once they did, he continued forward, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Hey."

Amara looked over at him, breathing heavily, chest heaving; as scary as she looked, Lucifer had undoubtedly seen worse. Hell, this was the face of the woman who had once tortured him, and he was still interacting calmly with her, as if nothing had happened. It was necessary, at least; just as she was able to put aside that he and Michael and Gabriel had assisted in locking her up, just as Gabriel was able to put aside all that Lucifer and Michael had done, just as Michael was able to put aside his betrayal. All of them were able to put these things aside, because they had to. Because they had one common enemy, and because there was no reason to continue holding grudges, to continue hating each other instead of the one they needed to hate.

It was, quite possibly, the most mature thing Lucifer had been able to do. Ever.

Still, his approach, although unafraid, was cautious. He was very well aware that Amara could blast him - albeit unintentionally - in her rage, and so he called her name again while he was still at a good distance, a few feet or so away. "Amara," his voice rose, carrying across the field, as he used his wings to boost him up over a fallen tree, landing unfalteringly on the other side and continuing on. It felt a little odd to use his wings, when he didn't see much point in it before, as if a part of him had forgotten they existed - and then another part of him had just come into play once again, for the first time in several millennia, like a piece of his broken, scattered puzzle had been clicked back into place. Something he hadn't done in so long suddenly felt natural to him.

"Nephew," Amara huffed out with a sigh as she turned back to face him, her fists clenched at her side and her expression still pinched and twisted, distorted with rage, and her voice trembled with the force of it as she stared at Lucifer. "He's not here," she told him icily.

"Clearly." Lucifer extended his wings forward, using the large feathers to brush across the ground, clearing away a cluster of branches and leaves, and grimacing a little when they got stuck in the feathers. He flicked his wings off a little, but it did nothing to loosen the twigs and bits of leaves that had gotten caught; so, with a scowl, he simply drew them upwards into the air and kept them hanging out behind him, boosting himself up over yet another fallen tree before he finally managed to reach her, snuffing out a little bit of fire in the process. "I was looking for you," he informed his aunt, who just crossed her arms and stared at him.

"Well, your concern is touching," she remarked, albeit somewhat sarcastically, and Lucifer sighed softly through his nose and twisted his hands a little harder in his pockets, staring back at his aunt through narrowed eyes. "But there's nothing to see." Amara turned her head, looking out across the broken mess of a field that had once stood tall as part of what must have been a beautiful forest - it angered Lucifer even further to see it, to see how little that his Father really cared about his creation, that he was so far gone to be a part of what wrecked so much of it. It was just another stark reminder of how far Chuck had truly gone. The lines he had crossed.

He ran his tongue over his lips and closed his eyes for a moment, unable to stare out at the broken piece of Earth any longer - a piece, he would admit, he would have willingly destroyed himself just for the sake of his own entertainment. Everything was easier when he did things like that - no real goal, no real motive, just doing what he did because he liked to. A part of him had to wonder, between him and Chuck, who was the lesser of two evils? And who would the Winchesters rather be fighting now - the Devil, or God himself? Or was his story even really over? Was he capable of being anything but the villain? Given the constant flip-flop of his entire existence - the way he was created to destroy, built up only to crumble at the Winchesters' hands, at the edge of redemption just to take the dive back into the pit of self-loathing and fury. Whatever purpose he'd had had been shattered, whatever life he'd led was gone. There was him, there was God - and suddenly the line between good and evil was the only clear thing Lucifer could see, and he was smack dab in the middle of it, just between the two, unsure which side he belonged on… or which side he'd end up on whether he belonged there or not. Existing had never been easy for the Devil, but he never thought it'd be _this _hard.

Trying to calm his shaking hands, he turned his attention back to Amara, who was surveying the damage through dark, desperate but angry eyes. Uninterested, however, she turned her gaze back to her nephew quickly enough, looking impatient. "He got away- I almost had him, and he just- _ugh_. You know- he hasn't changed. He hasn't changed at all. He's still the same petty, self-centered, egotistical _child _that he's always been- and I always told you he was."

"I always told everyone else that he was," Lucifer noted quietly, staring back at her. It was true - despite how much Amara had loved her younger brother, she and Lucifer often bonded over his ridiculous antics, his stupid creations. The Devil had never wanted to lock Amara away in the first place, but he had done so because Chuck had commanded it. Truth be told, his aunt was the only one, besides himself, that ever… understood. "It's not our fault nobody believed us."

"And now it's too late," Amara spoke through clenched teeth, hands balled into fists, knuckles white and lips pulled back in a snarl. Her gaze flickered violently across the trees, the fire seeming to rise a bit higher; Lucifer raised a wing and swept his feathers over the flames, easily brushing them out without a second thought; Of course it hurt, his wings weren't desensitized to fire, and angel wings were often vulnerable to most human weaknesses - one of many reasons why they were invisible to the human eye - but by this point, Lucifer had been burned one too many times for it to hurt enough for him to care. Retracting his wing, he looked up at his aunt.

"Do you believe that?" He asked her, slightly troubled now, as his mouth twisted sharply into a frown and his eyes narrowed faintly. "That it's… too late?" Honestly, he didn't know whether it was or not, himself. Maybe for Chuck, it was. But for the world, for humanity… Lucifer didn't think it was too late for them. They were just unguided, just… lost, praying to a God who had never been there for them in the first place, existing just to _exist _with no purpose - now than ever, the Devil could understand what it felt like. He didn't want to believe it was too late - for them, for the world, for… for himself… he had to believe the world could be saved. He had to believe that somehow, someway, by some _miracle_, that he could be saved.

"You know what, Nephew?" Amara shook her head a little, her fury finally fading into the same troubled exhaustion that the Devil was so painfully familiar with at this point. "I don't have the slightest clue whether it is or not. I've just put up with his games too long to care now," she replied stiffly, looking away again, this time to look up at the sky. "It was bad enough, before. But he's really losing his mind over this one. He's always been insane," she spat bitterly. "Now it's just out in the open for everyone else to see, too." She inhaled deeply and shut her eyes.

Lucifer studied her for a moment, then tugged the corner of his mouth up into a dry half-smile in response, shaking his head lightly at his aunt and turning away once again to look out across the damaged field, broken, just like so many of Chuck's creations. "I wonder how many there are," he commented quietly, blinking and screwing his face up slightly, a mixture of hurt and curious at the same time. "How many me's…" His expression shifted, his flickering eyes coming to rest on a single patch of grass, somehow unhurt despite the celestial battle that had gone on there. "I think about it all the time now. Why he just- kept creating the same thing, over and over and _over _again even though it just kept failing." His eyebrows furrowed, lips parting slightly to breathe in a soft gasp of the chilly, crisp air around them, the only thing there to take his mind off of the ever-growing tremors making their way up his arms. "You know, he's _God_. He's got all of this power, and he uses it for this. Even I can't fathom it, Amara- and I'm the _Devil_."

"It is odd," Amara conceded, huffing out another sigh. "It's almost unfathomable, but even… on some level, I can understand…" She trailed off as Lucifer turned to look back at her. "Listen," she insisted. "There's us, and then there's all of you. I watched the time and the effort and the passion he put into creating you, but that's just what you are to him - not people, not actual, living beings with lives, and feelings, and… you're just characters on a page. He cares for you as much as one can care for a… fictional character. Things he can manipulate, control."

Still staring at her, Lucifer spread his wings out slightly, and opened his mouth again.

"I'm _not _justifying his actions. I'm not saying what he's doing is right- it's _not_," Amara interrupted before Lucifer had even properly had time to spit out his accusations, the Devil's face contorting in a mixture of betrayal, fury, disbelief and confusion as he stared at his aunt. "If even I can grasp the fact that all of you are- more than just- just _things _and puppets on strings he can yank around and control, then he should be able to, too. But he doesn't. And no, it's not okay. It's the exact opposite of okay. You're his children, and this-" She turned her head, looking around. "The creation that he- he _loved _so much, or at least that I thought he did… it's not okay for him to just be able to discard it all- you all- like this, but I'm just saying, the fact that he's able to…" She shook her head a little, looking back down again, then cleared her throat. "With everything he's always been, for as long as I've known him- all I'm saying is that I'm not surprised by now."

Lucifer just fell silent, thinking those words over carefully as he looked away, back out across the forest. His mouth twisted into a frown, though he said nothing, just gave a small nod and closed his eyes with a short, silent sigh. "What're you gonna do?" He asked suddenly- because he needed to know, he needed to have some kind of idea of what was going to happen after Chuck was gone… "After it's over?"

"I don't know," Amara responded slowly, her tone changing to one of bewilderment, as well as slight curiosity. "I suppose… go back to Reno. I have no interest in taking over this universe- or any other universe, in that case. They'd all be better off without a dictator, anyway."

"Heaven still needs someone." Lucifer pointed out, his frown deepening slightly. He doubted Michael would be up to the task - but that was something he needed to consult his oldest brother about when he woke up. _If he woke up_, a darkened corner of Lucifer's mind taunted, a voice he chose to fold away into the shadows for the time being and looking back at Amara. "The angels-"

"Well, then, they have Jack," Amara replied steadily. "Jack, Gabriel, Michael, Castiel. They'll have them all. Jack will have them to guide him… Heaven will be fine." She spared him a glance, slowly turning to face him again, and folded her arms across her chest with a frown. "Honestly, if I were in your position, I'd be more worried about Hell," she commented. "That deal you made for Castiel, it leaves the demons without a ruler once everything is said and done." She studied him carefully, while he just grimaced and looked away.

"Hell will be fine. It's been fine without me for this long. Besides, demons- I don't care about them anymore," Lucifer responded, his tone slowly changing to one of exhaustion as he looked down at his feet and clenched his fists a little tighter in his pockets. "I knew what I was walking into when I made that deal. Heaven, Hell, Earth- it's a better world without me in it, and a better world with Cas instead. Jack will have a decent father figure - several decent father figures, actually. God and the Devil will have perished, and the world can start anew. Castiel will walk free, my son will be with the family that deserves him." His expression faltered. "And I'm… _tired_."

"I still don't understand why you don't just tell them," Amara admitted, frowning. "Castiel, at least. Wouldn't it be easier to get it over with and take a load off his mind? Then, at least, nobody will be questioning where you disappeared to once Chuck's been taken care of."

"I don't want Michael and Gabriel to know," Lucifer replied honestly, shrugging slightly and leaning back with a sigh. "I don't want them to make a big deal out of it. Gabe's already starting to get all attached again, and Micha- I can't… drop something like this on him, not now. Not after everything. He's got enough on his plate with dealing with everything about Dad. The last thing he needs is the knowledge that I'm not gonna be around anymore, either, once Chuck's dealt with. I mean, come on, how's he supposed to do anything with that looming over his head? It was bad enough when he thought I was dead, Amara. To know I'm going to die is the last thing he needs. And Adam-" He huffed a little, shaking his head. "Adam would _kill _me. It's better this way- just disappearing without a trace, when it's all over. Nobody has to worry about anything."

"You know that's not true," Amara countered. "Michael will always wonder where you are. Gabriel will search for you. And the demon…" She wrinkled her nose a little. "I'm sorry, but what does it matter whether he kills you or not, considering you're a dead man walking, anyway?"

A few seconds of silence passed, in which Lucifer just flicked his gaze up to her, holding eye contact somewhat unsteadily now. He hadn't really thought it all through, to be honest; Seeing how happy Jack was around Castiel had been more of a motivator in his decision than anything. The kid hated his guts, but around his brother… he was someone else entirely. Castiel was his _dad_ \- Lucifer was just his father. And he wasn't the father he could have been, should have been, _would _have been if not for his own - but even with the hope that it wasn't too late for him, he knew it was, regarding everything that had happened with Jack. The things he'd done, the things he'd _said _to him. Lucifer would always live with the knowledge that he was just as bad as Chuck was - if not _worse_ \- and he just… needed this. He needed to do one good thing for his son. Even if it meant erasing himself from Jack's life completely.

"I don't want them to know," he finally repeated, somewhat desperately now. Not because of any of the reasons he had already given her, but because Michael and Gabriel would do nothing but try to talk him out of the deal; they would confront the Empty; they would threaten, they would do whatever it took to make sure Lucifer had to stay alive. But he didn't think he'd have the strength, after everything was said and done, to face the mistakes he had made and keep himself together. He was already having a difficult time as it was. "Please, Amara."

Amara stared at him for a moment, silent as ever, then heaved out a soft sigh and looked away, offering a dry smile in response to her nephew's words and shaking her head. "They won't hear a word from me, Nephew," she finally replied, sounding exhausted again. "It's your choice."

Her tone was more fittingly paired with the phrase "it's your funeral", both of which were accurate, but Lucifer relaxed all the same, simply nodding along in agreement.

"On another note," the Devil cleared his throat, somewhat desperate to change the subject now, and Amara arched an eyebrow at him, silent. "Michael's unconscious." A flicker of confusion crossed his aunt's face - Lucifer guessed she hadn't been paying attention to his brother enough to notice him being stabbed by Chuck, but to be completely honest, Lucifer couldn't blame her. It had been pretty hectic. "Dad kinda impaled him with a sword thing… kinda looks like something from Heaven, but we're not sure. I was thinking you could use some of those powers of yours and, uh…" He wiggled his fingers. "Maybe figure out where it came from."

"I can try." Amara wrinkled her nose. "If it's from Heaven, though… I know less about that place than you do, but…" She shook her head and shrugged again. "I can try," she said again, simply repeating her first three words, and glancing around at the damage she had made, a slight frown curling at her lips and a soft sigh breaking through her clenched teeth. "I shou-"

"I'll take care of it," Lucifer interrupted, sighing. "You go."

Amara looked over at him, but she was silent. There was no 'are you sure', no hesitation; just a nod, a sigh, and then Amara was gone; and Lucifer stood in the center of a broken field, just as damaged as he was. Only difference was that this could be fixed. Turning, the Devil lifted his wings, quietly putting out the remaining flames and ignoring the way they singed the tips of his feathers in the process, the way the fire burned through the feathers, causing his wings to curl up reflexively despite not feeling the pain himself. A soft glow began to emit from the feathers, a kind of light Lucifer himself had forgotten he could display, and it was somewhat calming to watch the field clear; He couldn't root the trees back into the ground, but he could incinerate them with white-hot energy, sending them back into the ground to regrow eventually. Moving forward, he approached the clump of grass that remained in the center of the field, stooping down low and pressing his hand down against it, trembling fingers beginning to glow.

He spread the grass out, watching the broken, barren land light up, lush and full of green once again, dimly lit by the gentle rays of the early morning's sun. Smoke billowed gently from the Devil's mouth as he sighed, watching silently, wondering if this was even a fraction of what Chuck had felt toward his creation in the beginning - and Lucifer wasn't even creating, he was just… renewing the beauty that had once been. Even then, he felt something, some sort of gentle pride at the now glowing field before him, the knowledge that he'd made something of the destruction that had occurred. He wondered if Chuck had ever felt the same way, at least in the beginning, at least with the first universe he had created…

He didn't hear the footsteps approaching, busy focusing his energy into the ground to spread the grass out across the torn Earth; he only stopped when he could see the figure out of the corner of his eye, turning his head a little and looking up to blink at his younger brother. Gabriel was simply watching him, curiosity mixing with confusion in his deep gaze; Lucifer managed a faint, albeit tight smile toward his younger brother, not moving his hand from the ground as he continued to extend the grass outwards. "Hey," he greeted, blinking at him slowly. "What's up?"

"Amara just got back," Gabriel explained, walking over to him. "She told me where you were. Said you might need some help." He flicked his gaze around for a moment, arching an eyebrow as if to say Lucifer hadn't needed any kind of help, obviously enough, he had this handled. But Lucifer knew something he didn't - his aunt was providing the stepping stones, the means for the Devil to explain everything to his brother. The only thing left was whether or not Lucifer decided to cross, or whether he stayed alone on the other side and simply watched from afar.

"Adam's got a new plan." Gabriel paused beside him, staring down at the Devil's trembling hand, still pressed against the ground; his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, but he said nothing, simply flicked his gaze back up to Lucifer. "Well, him and Dean. Something about possessing Dean in order for Amara to heal Michael or something, to wake him up." Lucifer didn't say anything, just grimaced - so his oldest brother was still unconscious. That definitely wasn't good - but he was glad they were making plans just in case Michael still couldn't pull himself out of whatever this was. He still had the feeling something was _off_. Even with everything that had happened, even without full use of his powers, Lucifer didn't think even that should have been enough to render the archangel unconscious, right? Not for this long…

"Well, good for them," Lucifer finally sighed, and blinked, watching, as Gabriel knelt down beside him, his hand pressed to the ground beside the Devil's and beginning to glow along with his. He stared over at his brother for a moment, then took in a breath and looked away. Again, he could choose to cross the stepping stones Amara had laid out for him, he could choose to tell his brother everything now, he had the perfect chance - but… no. Why bring it up? Again, too much to worry about, what with Michael, and Chuck, and… it just wasn't important enough to say.

He jerked his hand away from the ground when it began to shake a little harder, pushing himself to stand and turning away from his brother. Gabriel didn't move, simply continuing on until the rest of the field had been covered once again, looking better than it had before Lucifer had showed up. Here he was, picking up the pieces of yet another one of Chuck's mistakes. But Gabriel being there was just another reminder that he wasn't alone, too. At least, by all technicalities, he wasn't responsible for all of this himself; Gabriel and Michael and everyone else were struggling to pick up the pieces, too. The Devil lifted his chin a little, looking around.

"You okay?" Gabriel moved forward beside him, looking out across the land. Lucifer pulled a corner of his mouth upwards just the fraction of an inch, not quite a smile, not even close, just silently twisting and tugging his lips every so often before pulling them into a thin, neutral line once more, nodding slightly toward his younger brother in response.

"Yeah." He drew himself up a little, closing his eyes for a moment. "Let's head back."

The soft fluttering of Gabriel's wings indicated no hesitation, no pressure to tell him what was going on - which Lucifer respected, greatly - and after a moment of silence, Lucifer spread his own wings out again and flapped them gently across the air, bringing himself back to the bunker.

He appeared beside Gabriel seemingly only moments after his brother had appeared in the bunker, as Adam was still glaring at the archangel as if he had startled him. The glare faltered when he saw Lucifer, though, eyes flicking from the Devil's face to his hands - which Lucifer noticed at the last second were still trembling, and he managed to stuff them into his pockets before anybody else could see. He knew Adam well - and he knew how observant the demon was, even if he was quiet about it. He made mental notes about everything, even if only unconsciously, like it was some kind of instinct for him to take in every detail in case it might be important later. Regardless, Adam only studied him for a few moments before he leaned back, a calm, collected expression replacing the irritation that had been there just seconds before.

That was interesting, how he seemed to have a better time reigning in his own temper now. Maybe time with that Bela chick had done him some good. He seemed calmer.

Lucifer's eyes strayed toward Jack, somewhat unconsciously. His son had returned with Castiel - though the angel was at Dean's side, as the hunter gripped his stomach lightly with one hand, his mouth twisted into a sharp, barely-noticeable grimace. Looking back at Adam, Lucifer noted that he also had positioned a hand over his stomach, the same spot Dean was holding, the same spot that Michael and Dean had been stabbed. The Devil narrowed his eyes, silent.

Amara had the sword in hand, turning it over and frowning slightly down at it as she studied it. "No, I don't know," she finally sighed, handing it back over to Rowena. "I don't recognize it."

Lucifer exhaled softly and watched as Rowena put the sword back down on the table, then turned his head to look toward Adam. The demon was only focused on the sword now, teeth clenched, grinding together slightly, his hand clenched tightly around his suit, still positioned over his stomach - either out of anger or pain. He was pissed, but he wasn't saying anything, just staring, silent and considering, calculating, _thinking_. Which might be even more terrifying. Lucifer knew, without a doubt, that given the chance, he'd destroy Chuck without hesitating.

Finally, taking a deep breath, the demon sat up and turned to Dean. "We gotta figure out a way to get me in your head, now," he insisted, teeth still gritted together tightly.

Dean opened his mouth to reply, but Jack beat him to it, sudden but soft, and both Dean and Adam turned their heads toward him when he spoke. "Actually, Uncle Adam-" Lucifer's mouth twitched, while Adam's expression contorted in a mixture of confusion and disbelief while Jack just continued without missing a beat, "I had an idea. Jesse might be able to use his powers to transfer your soul into Dean's body," he added, looking back toward Dean somewhat hesitantly. "Without the risk of you having to use your powers, yourself."

Adam paused, his expression pinching up slightly with a mixture of uncertainty and thoughtfulness, but it finally gave way to intrigue. Lucifer studied his son for a moment, trying to stifle his smile now this time, as Adam finally heaved out a sigh. "Yeah, okay. Whatever it takes."

Jack practically lit up at that, a bright smile appearing on his face, excitement blazing through his eyes as he jumped up and nodded - vigorously. "I'll go get him." He paused for a moment, opening his mouth slightly, his eyes beginning to blaze a bright golden color. "He's still in the Empty…" He said slowly, pursing his lips. "I'll be right back." With that, before anybody else could say or do anything, the Nephilim slumped back into the chair, head rolling back.

Adam stared at him for a long time before he spoke, sounding bewildered and a little bit frustrated. "Why the _hell _does he call me _Uncle?"_

"Awh, I think it's kind of cute," Dean piped up, an amused grin appearing on his face. Adam shot him a look, while Lucifer just studied them for a few seconds, silent, before finally turning away and heading back over to where Rowena and Sam stood around the table, realizing for the first time that Crowley was nowhere to be seen. Sam looked up at him as he approached, his expression shifting slightly, but he said nothing and only offered the Devil a slight nod.

"Where's Crowley?" Lucifer asked casually as he looked down at the sword, frowning. It still held a sense of familiarity to it, but still one that he just couldn't place, no matter how hard he tried. He felt like he should _know _it, like he'd _seen _it before- but…

"Gathering ingredients," Rowena replied vaguely. "We're going to try the power-dampening spell again, with a few, um… adjustments." Her mouth tugged into a smile, dry and amused. "This time we're going to be using Nephilim Grace. Jack's already agreed."

Lucifer stared at her for a moment, silent. It was a good plan, by all means - but the words 'Nephilim Grace' just made him think back to what he'd done to Jack, to the powers he'd taken, to the way he hadn't even hesitated the second he thought his son was turning against him. He closed his eyes for a moment, twisting his hands a little harder against his pockets, and nodded. "Good. Good," he cleared his throat, taking a deep breath.

"It's just- considering the fact that Jack's more powerful than Chuck - especially since he's weakened," Sam continued on, and Lucifer cracked his eyes open, looking over at the hunter. "We kind of figured that adding a little bit of his power to the spell might be what clinches it."

"Yeah." Lucifer just nodded, lost in his own whirl of thoughts now. Well, this was good. Adam was going to find Michael - and Amara was going to bring his brother back to full strength once the demon was back in the picture - and they were working on another plan for the Cage. Now Lucifer wanted to focus on figuring out what this sword had done to his brother.

He glanced back at Adam, who was just staring at the sword now, and saw his own emotions reflected on the demon's face - just, with a little more fury, a little more determination. And that was a difference between the two of them; Lucifer _wanted_ to figure out what the sword had done.

Adam was _going _to figure it out, even if it killed him, and he was going to make Chuck regret whatever he had done to the archangel.

Lucifer took in a breath and shut his eyes again. At least he could rest easy knowing Michael wouldn't be alone after he was gone, too. He'd have Adam. Jack would have Castiel and the Winchesters. Gabriel would have… well, he'd have porn stars. He'd be fine, they'd be fine. It was just yet another reminder that they didn't need him - and yet another rush of relief. He was doing something good for once… _But something selfish, just like always, _that voice was back, hissing and taunting, but it did little to sway Lucifer's resolve. _Because you can't face the things you've done. You're no better than him. _Even as the shaking started up again, though, the voice was easy to block out. He was good at ignoring his own demons by now.

Unfortunately, unbeknownst to everyone in the bunker, Michael didn't have it so easy.


	67. Chapter 67

Wandering through Heaven again after so long felt like… Hell.

It was almost _unrecognizable. _Every hallway, every pillar, every statue and window looking out across all of Heaven itself, and the angels flying just outside, spiraling through the air, training. He watched the swords cross, the blows they landed on one another with little hesitation, not caring about the scars that were forming or the blood they were drawing from their siblings - just focused on the fight and who would win, training like their lives depended on it, like there was nothing better to do in Heaven. Michael's face twisted up a little, confusion flickering through his eyes, mouth pulling taut into a thin line before his lips puckered into a frown. It was unfamiliar. But the way he felt about it now, watching his brothers and sisters, was even stranger. There was such a sense of deep hatred for the place he'd originated from, the place he'd called home, even for the angels sparring outside - perfect strangers, not siblings, just unfamiliar people.

He took in a shaking breath and lifted his eyes to one of the lights hanging overhead, emitting a gentle glow across the white walls and floor. It was actually somewhat maddening - Michael could even go so far as to say it was worse than pacing the floor of the Cage. The archangel's eyebrows pinched together at the thought, feeling, oddly enough, like he wasn't supposed to know what that felt like, but he did. Just vaguely, he could remember the fire flickering through the bars, the lightning crashing down. He remembered the face of his brother, and the words of someone he didn't quite recognize at first glance, but someone he cared for…

The name was too far out of his reach, even now, but the face, he knew as if it were his own. Unconsciously, he brushed his fingers against his cheek and looked down, his confusion strengthening further as he turned his hand over to study his knuckles, before finally dropping his hand back down to his side. Again, it was something that he wasn't sure he was supposed to know, like something long suppressed, like some kind of severed connection. But his mind strayed back to the face in his thoughts more often than not, and he found himself longing for the person corroding his mind, the face of the man he couldn't shake. Like he _needed _them.

He settled a hand over his stomach, a sharp ache bringing his mind back to the present.

Michael drew in a breath and looked back out the window, his eyes fixed on the glittering swords, the sounds they made as they sliced through the air, the way his siblings screamed when one of them were struck by the other. He could almost feel blood seeping through his fingers, the burn of a wound that wasn't even there, though maybe it had been. Finally, though, unable to remember why he'd stopped to watch the fighting, he turned away and stared down across the hallway, a glimmer of confusion flitting across his face - a sharp, odd reminder that he wasn't supposed to be there - before the expression smoothed over, and he turned and wandered back the way he had come, with no clear destination in mind just yet.

He found himself crossing paths with a familiar face - one he could actually pick out through the blur of people swimming through his head, but one he still felt odd about encountering. In fact, staring at the angel in front of him, it felt _very_ odd, because this person shouldn't _exist _anymore.

"Ah, if it isn't the almighty Michael," Zachariah cheered as he approached him, a lazy grin written across his face and his eyes glittering with an emotion Michael couldn't even begin trying to place. His brother clasped a hand over his shoulder - and the archangel _flinched_, he flinched and he flinched _hard_, harder than he had ever expected to, with such a sense of vulnerability - of _fear _that he knew he should _never _be displaying around a lower-class angel such as Zachariah, but at the same time, he couldn't stop it, and it made him feel even worse. "Surprised to see you finally out of the hole," Zachariah commented further, and Michael blinked, rapidly.

"The…" He trailed off, the words feeling weird on his tongue - or maybe it was just the fact that he was speaking to Zachariah, which he still felt like he shouldn't… be _able _to do. Managing to recover, if only slightly, from the terrifying rush of dizzying, cold _terror_, he shrugged Zachariah's hand off of his shoulder and took a few steps backwards, staring at him. "The hole?" He asked slowly, somewhat unsteadily, unable to help but wonder if those visions and flashes of the Cage were… _real_. He had chalked it up to his own imagination - perhaps his own guilt over Lucifer… But if Zachariah knew of it, then was it real? And if so, how could he not remember how…?

"Oh, y'know. Your office, bub?" Zachariah pressed, his grin only widening as he shook his head at the oldest archangel. Michael opened his mouth, then closed it. "You've been locked up in there for a while, ever since the Big Guy left the building. Glad to see you finally coming out of your shell, though," he added conversationally, while Michael only blinked, his shoulders tensing up slightly. "Now we can discuss the plans for the Winchesters. If you're ready, I'll contact Lilit-"

"N- I-" Michael shook his head vigorously, bringing one of his hands up to his face again, his fingers finding skin against his forehead and his nails digging in slightly, leaving indents of curved little half-circles into his pale skin as he shook his head back and forth. The Winchesters- the Winchesters. Of course that name was familiar, and well it should be. There was Samuel Winchester, and there was Dean Winchester - his true vessel, though that just felt wrong…

But what did Zachariah mean, the Big Guy left the building? God wasn't gone. He'd just spoken to God, hadn't he? He could vaguely remember his face, his words- such _vicious _words… he could remember the surprising amount of hatred pulsing deep in his chest when he looked at his Father, the amount of contempt and disgust and the thoughts of _how dare he do this to them_.

"Mmmmmike?" Zachariah stretched his nickname out somewhat uncertainly.

"Something's… something's wrong, Zachariah," Michael started, breathing heavily as he gripped his head with his other hand, now, fingers burrowing deep into his hair as he looked up at his brother, somewhat frantically now. He wasn't sure why he was reaching out to Zachariah of all angels for help, he needed something else- he needed someone else. Again, that face flashed in his mind, along with a name. Oddly enough, he found it related to the Winchesters, but it was still different - the name _Adam. Adam Milligan. _The face flashed in his mind once again, but this time it was accompanied by a rush of memories, of the Cage, of a park, a school, a bunker-

A sword.

Blood.

Healing.

Darkness.

Oh, no. He remembered now. He knew why it all felt _wrong_, him being here; it wasn't real. He was supposed to be possessing Dean Winchester, supposed to be meeting Adam, he was supposed to be with his best friend, fighting against his Father - a turn of events he never would have believed if he didn't see it unfolding right before his own eyes. The sudden sense of self-loathing made sense, the amount of hatred he felt toward Heaven, his siblings, his Father - his desperation to get back to Adam, the face haunting his mind, his distaste for the training and fighting the angels were putting themselves through - why he just, in general, didn't want to be here. Because he was supposed to be somewhere else. This wasn't _real_.

The smile on Zachariah's face had turned much colder, but it was still there, with just enough malice to be terrifying. "You just can't leave well enough alone, can you, Michael?" His brother ground out through clenched teeth, as Michael managed to pull himself out of the whirlwind of memories. "I mean, you could've had it all. Right here." He spread his arms out, and Michael took in a breath, staring back at him. "You could have ruled Heaven again, been a big-shot just like before. Done things _right _this time. All you would've had to do was _give in_ and let yourself go, and stop _pressing _and pushing- but you really can't do it, can you?" His voice lowered, the smile turning into a grin, sharp, cold. "Are you that screwed up?"

"You," Michael started, voice shaking, as he took a few steps away from his brother. "Are not real. You're not real. You're _dead_," he insisted, practically spitting the word at his brother, while Zachariah just rolled his eyes and stuffed his hands back into his pockets, offering a lazy sigh.

"Real or not, it doesn't matter," Zachariah chuckled, tilting his head. "I mean, come on. It doesn't have to be real to seem real to you, does it? It didn't in the Cage, and it doesn't now…" He took a few steps forward, and Michael stumbled back again, his breath hitching slightly as he stared back at his brother through wide eyes. "Look. Hell knocked a few screws loose. The line between what's real and what's not, in your case, has been pretty far gone for a while now. _You've _been pretty far gone for a while now. You're just finally noticing."

"I need to get to Adam," Michael mumbled to himself, doing his best to ignore the words Zachariah was saying, to ignore the insults and the implications, the things he didn't want to have to think about right then, the insanity he didn't want to deal with again. This wasn't real. He needed to get back to his best friend; Adam needed him. "I need to wake up…"

"Mi-chael," Zachariah sing-songed, an air of laughter in his voice now as he shook his head at the oldest archangel, nothing but amused. "Don't you get it? You're _not _waking up. This is what you've gotta deal with now, pal. We've got you on lockdown, down to every last corner of your mind. You can't get out and they can't get in." He stepped forward again, but Michael didn't retreat this time, just staring at him. "And, hey, we tried to do things the easy way, y'know. But you just had to make things difficult, had to _ruin it_, just like you always do."

Michael just stared back at him, not really knowing what to say. Just knowing that this was crazy - this was one-hundred percent, batshit _crazy_-

"_You're _crazy," Zachariah laughed, startling the archangel for a moment; Michael jumped, flinched, and swallowed hard, struggling past the pain that was building up in his chest. His own insanity was something he hadn't wanted to confront; Adam had been the one to pull him out of it so long ago, and even he had barely managed to bring the archangel back. Adam wasn't here now, it was just Michael alone with his own thoughts. His own twisted, dark, traitorous thoughts. The feelings he fought so hard to repress, the cacophony of voices whispering in his ear.

Zachariah's mouth twisted into a cruel smile. "You always were your own worst enemy." He raised a hand, pressing his middle finger and his thumb together, and Michael went rigid.

"No-" He began to beg, but it did little to stop the hallucination; Zachariah snapped his fingers, and, smiling all the while, he just watched as the floor beneath Michael's feet caved and gave way to an eternal pit of nothingness, leaving him falling, spiraling, into a dizzying, nauseating pit of his own worst nightmares come true; his insanity had all the ammunition it needed, being in his own head and in Dean's, and for a second he wondered if there was any point in fighting it.

He could feel it when the apparent barrier he'd put up between himself and Dean's memories was ripped; he had struggled, long and hard, for both their sakes, not to dive into the hunter's memories himself. If there was something Dean wanted him to know, he'd let him, know, but Michael had struggled not to invade his privacy. But he could feel it now, as he did so, against the hunter's will - and against his own; he could feel every mental block breaking down, despite his best attempts to struggle against it, to pull himself back. It was like something was tugging him forward and he had no control, absolutely none, like a puppet on a string just being yanked along wherever it saw fit to push him. And, he found himself pushed straight into something out of the horror films he occasionally found Adam thinking of every so often in the Cage.

A barren, deserted land, an Earth that reeked of death and destruction. Michael found himself cowering, just after a few seconds inside. It was worse than Hell, worse than _Purgatory_.

His gaze found his brothers before anything; Lucifer and Gabriel. Lucifer was on the ground, seemingly hurt, while Gabriel was facing off against someone that Michael didn't recognize at first glance. It took a good few seconds of staring to recognize the vessel - one he had taken a long time ago, to interact with Adam… and it hit him, maybe a little too late, that it was _him_.

He took a few staggering steps forward, toward them, but he couldn't move an inch further than that. His breathing hitched, watching Gabriel fight the other archangel, watching his brother throw punch after punch, slicing down at him with the archangel blade - they both had archangel blades, Michael noted, growing more and more terrifying, and more and more angry, as he realized exactly what this was; Gabriel had said, hadn't he, that the other him had-

A scream, a flash of light… a laugh.

Dean's voice rang out, a sharp "_Gabe, no!", _as Sam had to hold him back from lunging at the two archangels. Michael tried to scream, wanting to yell out for his brother, but he couldn't. He couldn't speak, he couldn't move, he couldn't even breathe; and then, just as sudden, it ended. The hunter had left the universe on Sam's command, and Michael didn't even get the chance to see what happened when he got back to their own; he just kept his eyes fixated on Michael until another sudden, dizzying blur of darkness send him falling right into another memory.

It was happening so fast that it was _jarring_, but he knew that was the point. His own mind was working against him, actively _trying _to break him down, and even he knew that the best way to do that was to throw it all at him at once. He saw so many things; he saw the other Michael, torturing Dean inside his own head, locking him away and pushing him down and _laughing _as the hunter screamed and struggled to claw himself out of the pit he was thrown into time and time again, fighting to get out of the chains the other archangel had him trapped in. He saw the way Dean was breaking, alternating between cussing the other Michael out to begging him to _stop_, to just stop and listen, trying to get his attention, trying to convince him to let him go.

The things the other Michael did, the things he said to Dean, the methods he used to break the hunter down, to make him _stop fighting_, to get him compliant and complicit - it was sickening. It was sickening and _wrong _and no angel, no matter how powerful, no matter how _scornful _of humanity, should ever even think about breaking their own vessel down this way. Dean's hatred and fear toward him made too much sense, with each memory that Michael was forced to experience, sometimes through the hunter's own eyes. He'd hate himself too. Hell, he _did _hate himself - both himself and the other him. And he found those feelings getting stronger.

But the worst one - the worst one - was one where Dean wasn't present. He was locked inside his own head, content. This memory was Michael's - the other Michael's. Just one that the hunter still had rattling around inside his head, one that he probably wasn't even aware of.

"_Me and my brother…"_ The other Michael was chained to a chair, nothing but amused, as he fixed cold green eyes on Castiel, the smile on his face nothing short of psychotic, but in the calmest way possible. Michael paced behind his brother, just staring at the other him, unnerved, afraid and pissed off to every extent. "_My Lucifer,"_ the other Michael clarified further, "_when we fought in my world, we thought that God would come back. Give us answers. Why he'd gone. What we'd done. But instead, do you know what happened?" _The smile on his face dropped.

"Nothing," Zachariah's voice whispered in Michael's ear, tauntingly, teasingly, and Michael felt another shiver run up his spine, eyes squeezing shut against the tears threatening to rise.

"_Nothing," _the other Michael spat out, his voice impossibly colder, even more so than before, rough, calloused, desensitized - broken, but possibly in a way even worse than Michael was. "_No God. Nothing. And now, now that I'm… in here…" _Michael cracked his eyes open again, watching as the other one looked down, gesturing slightly with his chin toward his own body - toward Dean's body - and Michael's fists clenched as the other one went on. "_Now I know why."_

"You see, Mike," Zachariah spoke up, conversationally, as he draped an arm around Michael's shoulders and watched the other one with a cold sense of amusement, the same kind that the archangel saw reflected across the alternate him's features. "This is exactly what you could've become. Hell, maybe it's what you're on the way to becoming. All this anger, all this rage…"

"_... because he doesn't care…!"_

Michael stiffened when Zachariah leaned in even closer, speaking right up against his ear now, and the cold shudders running through the archangel just became that much more intense. "Because Daddy left you," he taunted, his voice soft, carrying a haunting, melodic tone. "You and all his other little failed experiments. Every anomaly, every _defect_ like you." His tone lowered, the gentle sing-song turning to more of a growl. "But maybe the reason you're not bitter is because you know that you're so broken that nobody will want you. Especially not God. You know, I don't really blame him." Zachariah placed his hands over Michael's shoulders. "Look at how you turned out in every other draft. It's no wonder he threw you away early this time."

Michael's breathing hitched, and he shook his head a little bit, struggling past the tears that were brewing in his eyes, the explosive amounts of pain and anger clashing in his chest. The contempt he held toward Chuck twisted, just enough, just a tiny bit spilling out toward himself. And the second it found purchase, it wrapped around him, as tight as the grip Zachariah had on his shoulders. It coiled around him, not viciously, not aggressive or as violent as the self-destructive hatred he usually felt toward himself. Instead it was something akin to the way Zachariah was whispering in his ear, the vicious, angry loathing wrapped up in a mask of sweet, semi-comforting gentleness, just thinly-veiled enough to still leave some room for confusion.

He trembled under his brother's hands as Zachariah grinned, cold fingers rubbing Michael's shoulders, soft and sweet and not at all matching the words that spilled from his lips. "It's because you're broken, Michael," he told the archangel gently, humming softly. "You've always been broken. Just a few feathers short of a wing. Never good enough. For Dad, for Heaven, or even for yourself. Every part of you is _damaged_, and _shattered_, and so far beyond repair that God himself couldn't fix you." He chuckled, his breath hot against the back of Michael's neck, causing him to flinch. "You're so _bad_," he hissed, "that God _himself _couldn't make you better."

Michael breathed in shakily, his throat closing up, whatever words he wanted to say only escaping as a soft, quiet whimper before he was forced into silence again, his breath coming in gasps and his chest and lungs aching. This was almost exactly what had happened in the Cage, except now, his mind had new ammo to use against him, more knowledge to twist and turn and break him down with. But unlike back then, he wanted to _protest_. He wanted to have some reason to argue against it, he wanted to hear Adam's voice in his head, soothing him, assuring him, he wanted the only person that could make him feel like he wasn't a piece of shit.

He couldn't give into it this time, he couldn't let himself fall back into the insanity, not with Adam waiting for him, expecting him. Adam needed him. _Adam needed him._

"No…" Michael mumbled, his voice shaking, as he jerked out of Zachariah's grip and turned to face his brother; except, when he turned, the scene around him changed. His brother was gone. The bunker was gone. The other Michael, and Castiel, gone. For a second, he stood completely surrounded by darkness, looking around through wide eyes. Then, taking a deep breath, he turned his head to look around again, trembling slightly as he stared around through the darkness. He couldn't will himself to wake up. Usually he didn't have this much trouble, but this time, he couldn't bring himself out of his own unconscious state, and he didn't know why.

Michael wrapped his arms around himself and tried to focus on breathing, blinking past the blur of tears that were still forcing their way forward, threatening to spill.

"_You can't hide from me forever, Michael," _Zachariah's voice was still whispering in his ear, yet it was echoing around the darkness at the same time. Michael cringed, looking up and around, wide-eyed; Zachariah wasn't there, but he… he was _there_. "_Or, actually, no, even better… you can't hide from yourself." _The sound of his brother's laughter reached his ears, vicious, cold.

Michael took a few steps back, tightening his grip on his own arms just enough to hurt, needing something to ground him just enough to snap himself back to the present, to give him enough control to move; once he could take that back, once he could snap himself back to his senses, he forced himself forward through the darkness, not knowing where he was going but knowing he just needed to get _away_. He forced his way forward, through the memories that weren't his, through the thoughts, through the other Michael's voice still ringing in his ears, he tore himself through it all, struggling to reach his own, desperate to get back to the other side of the barrier-

He half-running, half-walking stumbling screeched to a halt when the scene around him suddenly changed, abrupt enough to send him crashing backwards into… mulch.

Michael stared down at his hands, buried into the mulch. He could feel wind hitting his face, soft and warm, blowing his hair back. He could see the swingset, he could see the slides, the playground, the grass and the mulch and all of it was familiar; the park. He was in the park. Eyes widening, he twisted himself around to stand up, only to flinch back with a short scream that cut off before the sound could even properly leave his lips, seeing someone in front of him.

They arched an eyebrow at him, and Michael could only stare until the numb terror faded away, the relief hitting him head on, almost enough to knock him straight back down into the ground. "Adam?" He breathed out, huffing and puffing for the air he couldn't seem to get into his lungs. He wanted to laugh, he wanted to cry, but he settled for neither, just glad to see his best friend. In response, Adam's lips twitched upwards, just the tiniest bit, and he took a few steps closer to the archangel, pulling his hands out of his pockets and reaching a hand down to help him up; Michael accepted this without hesitation, gripping Adam's hand as if his life depended on it.

"Well, then, together again, huh?" Adam grinned at him, but it vanished as quick as it had come, staring at the archangel. "You good, halo?"

"I don't know… I don't know," Michael answered honestly, fumbling for a tighter grip on Adam's hand so that he could pull the demon into a hug; Adam accepted it without hesitation, and the archangel buried his face into his best friend's shoulder, finally allowing soft sob to escape his lips as he shook his head back and forth and squeezed his eyes shut. "I wanna get out of here," he said desperately, voice shaking slightly. "I wanna _leave_."

"Ohhh, but you can't."

Michael cringed, while Adam pulled back sharply, one hand gripping onto the archangel's arm as he turned to see who had spoken; Michael didn't want to, but he looked up, miserably, to meet the eyes of his brother once again, just the sight of Zachariah's cold smile being enough to force another icy-cold shudder down his spine. "Zachariah," Adam greeted coldly.

Zachariah glanced at him, amused. "Oh, why am I not surprised? Of course Michael needs his little guard dog," he taunted, flicking his gaze back to Michael's face. Adam scoffed a little, but he said nothing, as Zachariah smirked over at the archangel and wiggled his eyebrows. "Whatever, you know, it doesn't matter whether he's here or not, does it?"

Michael didn't say anything, just reached a shaking hand out to place on Adam's shoulder when he snarled. Then, just as quickly, Zachariah was gone; Adam jerked back a little, then let out a low hiss and spun around to face Michael again, looking positively livid. "What the he-"

An arm wrapped around Michael's shoulders, and the archangel all but screamed when he was suddenly pulled away from Adam, watching the demon's eyes widen with a mixture of confusion and rage as he was forced away from his best friend; A little bit of fight finally kicking in, Michael turned to shove Zachariah away from him, managing to send his brother staggering, and he took the chance to throw a glance over his shoulder to make sure Adam was okay-

… but he was… gone.

"Adam?" Michael gasped, turning back around, pupils shrinking slightly as his eyes darted around the almost-empty park. Then he turned around to face Zachariah again, mouth opening to demand where the hell Adam was, and what had happened to him - hell, to demand if he had even been _real_ or just another way for his mind to manipulate him, another attempt at turning his own weaknesses and vulnerabilities and fears against him, which… now that he thought about it, it probably was. But it didn't matter; he couldn't ask. Zachariah was gone, too.

But his voice lingered, echoing around the park now, laughing at the archangel's despair as he hissed, "_because he can't protect you from __**yourself."**_


	68. Chapter 68

Adam ended up retreating into the kitchen.

He was too worried about Michael to deal with the crowd that had gathered. Lucifer's silent stares - something was _up _with him, but Adam couldn't figure out what just yet - his brothers occasional glances, and just the talk about the sword in general was just a little more than Adam could take. He was still a little pissed that Rowena hadn't brought it up to him the night before, but he also understood why she hadn't; for one, she didn't know for certain, regardless, and everything would be much easier to sort out when everyone else was there, as well. Still, the demon was having a hard time grasping the theories they were throwing around, the _guesses_, because that's all they were; Adam wanted facts. Cold, hard _facts_. Not conspiracy theories.

For a moment - just a moment - he wanted to break.

But not… _break. _Not… shatter, helplessly, into a million broken little pieces. He didn't want to break _down_, or break apart - but he wanted, he so desperately wanted to break. He wanted to snap, he wanted to punch a wall, he wanted to tear apart everything in the kitchen that he could dig his fingers into; he wanted to touch something and watch it go up in flames. He wanted to rip the floor apart bit by bit, he wanted to… truth be told, the violent imagery in his head hardly spoke volumes about what he wanted. The red haze sweeping across his vision felt more like a bomb ticking its life away, counting down to every last second, becoming stronger and stronger until it reached the moment where everything would just _explode_. And he _wanted it to explode._

Laying a hand gently on the table, he screwed his eyes shut and doubled over, breathing in sharply. The rage was so much harder to calm without Michael there, and he was well aware of that; well aware, remembering, how easy it was for the archangel to keep him steady, keep him grounded. Even if Adam could sometimes talk himself down from punching some poor passerby, it was seldom that he could talk himself out of any other kind of violent outburst. He still found himself snarling at strangers, showing his teeth to anyone who brushed against him in a crowded area, he still found himself imagining ripping the flesh off of their bones while they burned and screamed and choked on their own blood - he still imagined it, and sometimes the images scared him. The human part of him, at least, grew more and more frightened by the day. Even he recognized that despite how _together _he could pretend to be, and tell himself he was, he was still breaking apart, steadily and surely, without Michael to lean on for support.

Bending over further, he buried his face into his arms, latching his teeth around a small patch of skin and digging them in slowly. The pain hardly even registered, too numb, even now, for it to hurt in any kind of way - but the sensations remained, the feeling of his teeth grating against his skin even if he didn't quite feel the pain that should come with it, so he found himself grinding down against his arm for a good few seconds - only pulling back before he reached the point where he was close to drawing blood, clasping one hand over the bite mark and grimacing.

It was ineffective compared to what Michael could do to calm him down, but it was grounding enough for him to be able to redirect the anger into determination.

Alright, here were the facts; Michael was unconscious. He had used his powers, healing Dean, biting off a bit more than he could chew with that. Adam wasn't really surprised, to be honest. Not since it was _Michael._ Anyway, he had healed Dean from a sword - a sword that was, apparently, a weapon of Heaven, according to Lucifer and even Gabriel, who had admitted that the sword looked frighteningly familiar, just… unplaceable. To be completely honest, it felt like something even to him - but the small tugs at his brain could have just been something from Michael's side of things, and if so, maybe there was still some hope left for their connection. But the demon still couldn't sense any type of emotion from him, not even a small twinge.

Heaving himself upwards, away from the table, Adam turned and sank back against it, letting himself fall backwards onto it, flat on his back. He knew he probably shouldn't be _laying _on the table, but to be completely honest, at that point, he didn't care. He'd kill for a comfortable position at that point, as restless as he felt right then. So, more facts, and those facts were; Michael probably wasn't dreaming. Adam would have been able to connect with him if that were the case, and Dean, surely, should have been able to find the archangel. According to the hunter, he could still feel him there - he was still _inside _Dean, but he had retracted, just enough apparently, his Grace curled up in an unreachable corner of the hunter's mind he couldn't get to. So he was unconscious, and likely trapped, somewhere within his own mind. Too far out of reach for both Adam and Dean, despite the connection - which, he thought dryly, severed any kind of chance at contact - including telepathic, but that had never worked well for them anyway.

After a beat of silence, Adam's gaze flicked up.

Connecting through their thoughts had never been an easy feat for either of them, but Michael had admitted once that every so often, he could hear bits and pieces of what Adam was saying. He'd described it as more of a prayer than Adam speaking to him through their connection, though - but if that was true, and if the demon could reach Michael through prayer, then it would have nothing to do with their seemingly breaking connection. It was coming from beyond the connection they shared, right? It was still a way to contact him, however fragile.

Settling back against the table, the demon frowned slightly, mouth twisting. Even if it did work, though, he was still a little iffy on the prayer thing; how to make it _reach _the angel. His mother had told him once that it wasn't just God who heard every prayer, but certain angels could hear them, too, if they were prayed to directly. Folding his arms across his chest, Adam considered that. He didn't have anything left to lose by trying, especially considering that if his efforts succeeded, he might be able to talk to Michael - if only as a one-way kind of deal. But maybe it would be enough to stir the archangel, maybe enough to jolt him from his comatose state. Adam narrowed his eyes a little, then let them drift shut, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

_Michael_, he began tentatively, though his thoughts still faltered after the word, as if waiting, instinctively, for some kind of internal response; swallowing, he pushed down the lingering disappointment and continued pressing on, _halo, I don't know if you can hear this, but… _

He blinked his eyes open, taking in a breath, and reached behind him to grab onto the edge of the table, lightly pushing himself up onto it now and letting his legs swing down over the side. He kicked them back and forth lightly, trying to pretend he was back in the playground, swinging side by side with his body-buddy, just like the good old days when it was just him and Michael in the Cage. It was odd to think of the Cage as the good old days, even now, even when that's what they'd always been - but he'd give anything to have Michael back now and be trapped in the Cage with him, rather than having his best friend unconscious, possibly still _hurt_.

Adam wondered if emotions could be conveyed through prayer as well as thoughts could; he wondered if Michael would be able to sense the desperation, the longing, the fear.

_Look… _The demon started again, sucking in a breath through his teeth and slowly clasping his hands together in his lap. _You gotta wake up, man. I don't know what's happening with you- I can't feel a damn thing, and it's… _He struggled for a moment, trying to figure out how to word what he wanted to say, and his brain supplied the answer before he could, _it scares the hell out of me, man, it really does. Y'know, even I could still feel some things from your side, even when I was back with Bela- but now it's just… nothing. There's nothing. _He allowed a moment of silence to pass, simply to gather the rest of his thoughts. He found the tension in his shoulders draining, if only slightly. _Dean can't even feel you. Not really. He said you're just too far outta reach, even for him, and you're in the guy's head. I'm going to… I'm going to try to come in there myself. See if there's any way I can pull you outta this if you can't, but Mike, man, please… if I can't reach you even in there, I don't… I don't know what… _

He found his breathing hitching, though no tears came. He wasn't sad, he was just scared. Scared of what might be happening to his friend, and what might have already happened. Still, through this, he found his determination, his calmness, his relief, in the reminder that he was going to find Michael soon. Even if he couldn't, maybe Amara's healing could jolt something back to life, wake him up, if the prayer failed and Adam couldn't find him before then.

_I need you, _Adam finally continued, unfalteringly this time, confidence renewed. _That's the thing with us, man, I need you, and you need me. We only had each other then, and we only got each other now. So I don't care what it takes, I don't care what I gotta do, you understand? Michael, I'm gonna fix this. One way or another, I'm gonna get you outta there, and we're gonna kick Chuck's ass into the hole, and then we're gonna start over. You and me. No God, no grand story. We write our own beginning, and we write our own ending. We're the ones that broke through. We're the ones that weren't supposed to be part of the story, but we put ourselves in anyway. So let's make it ours- you and me, just like it's always been, and kick it in the ass._

He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. His shoulders dropped, releasing the tension, the weight that had been building up against them, stacking higher and higher with - as it seemed - each little problem that was thrown his way. But, the prayer, even if it did little on Michael's end, had restored some strength in the demon's resolve.

"Hey."

Adam paused, eyes blinking open at once to look over. He was faintly surprised that he hadn't been startled by Sam's sudden appearance, the simple, quiet word that left his brother's lips as he wandered into the kitchen. He was usually so easily startled - especially recently, but maybe it was just something about the cautious way that Sam approached him that kept him at ease. He pulled his hands apart, instead choosing to place them on the table on either side of him, propping himself up on his arms as he leaned backwards and crossed one leg over the other. "Hey," he greeted simply, eyes tracking his older half-brother as Sam went toward the fridge. The demon spared a slightly impatient look toward the doorway - because, really, how long did it take to go to and from the Empty? He'd only been there once, though, so…

"You want a beer?" Sam checked, looking back at him for a second. Adam paused to look over at him, his mouth twisting slightly as he thought that over. Alcohol didn't even work on him anyway, and he wasn't particularly thirsty, but… well, it would keep him occupied for the time being. So, he offered his brother a nod, and Sam pulled out a beer as well as a water bottle, turning and tossing the beer bottle over to Adam; the demon just barely caught it, wincing a little as he had to use his powers at first to keep it levitating in the air just a half-second before he could actually reach it, just to make sure it didn't crash to the ground. Sam watched, grimacing. "Sorry."

"Nope. All good," Adam replied steadily, taking a deep breath and leaning back with a sigh. He didn't mind using his powers, even though he was trying to keep it at a minimum for now. He looked down, easily twisting the cap off and frowning down at the liquid, but he said nothing, bringing the bottle to his lips to take a small sip, clearing his throat after he'd swallowed. "I don't care about burning off the rest of my humanity or whatever, not really. But Michael does, so…" He heaved out a sigh, shaking his head a little. "Yeah."

Sam nodded slightly, seeming to hesitate for a few moments as he cracked his water open and took a few sips, leaning back. After a while, though, he did speak up again, taking a deep breath. "You know," he started, carefully. "I was going to suggest… y'know, before this whole plan, but- I was gonna suggest… curing you, before Michael possessed you again." At this, Adam visibly paused, blinking, and flicked his gaze up to Sam once again, eyebrows raising.

"Curing me?"

"Yeah." Sam paused, lightly spinning the bottle in his hands as he pursed his lips, mouth twisting, shifting slightly where he stood before finally bringing his gaze back to Adam's. "There's a demon cure. It'd basically be like… y'know, turning you back into a human, I guess. No worrying about burning off your soul, or Chuck's plan, or…" He gestured one hand vaguely toward Adam, who just sat back a little, blinking. "And, it'd probably be a lot easier on you. I didn't wanna say anything before, 'cause I wasn't sure if it would work with Michael there…"

Adam zoned out for a moment, Sam's voice somewhat fading into the background as the demon furrowed his eyebrows, lost in his own thoughts now. A demon cure. A way for him to be human again. But even if he wasn't planning to use the whole demon thing to his advantage, to possess Dean and find Michael, would he take the chance? Would he want that? He had to consider it from all sides here - his human side as well as his demon side. Of course, that part of him was practically buzzing at the idea of being able to feel things the way he had before. To not be so blindly angry all the time - but then, at the same time, the rest of him was holding back. It wasn't that it was a bad idea, and _every _part of Adam recognized this, but it was just that it would be such a big change, and one he wouldn't be able to undo if he agreed. He couldn't use the Michael thing as an excuse; he could always go back and do it later, it would just require a brief split, right? The archangel would still be able to possess him even if he were human. He'd done it before. So that wasn't the problem here - this was Adam's choice, his choice alone.

But, again, such a big _change _would come from it. He'd be human. He'd be vulnerable. He'd be able to die, he'd have to eat, he'd be so much more tired than he already was with the little bit of humanity he had left already dragging him down. It would get in the way; how would he be able to protect Michael if he was human? And wouldn't it just mean Michael would have to work double-time to protect him? And, beyond that, beyond the archangel, the demon just didn't know how he felt about it in general. When the Cage had begun twisting him, when the Transformation had begun, he would've given anything for it to just _stop_, for him to go back to being human, hating the way it had changed him, the way he felt. But things were different now.

_He _was different now.

He wasn't even explosively, destructively, dangerously angry anymore. At least, when he got to those points, he could calm himself down - and so could Michael, he always had. Truth be told, Adam was rather content with the way things were, and with the way he was. Even being a demon had some perks sometimes, aside from just, in general, the abilities that came with it. Being a demon rendered him immortal, able to live by Michael's side forever. And while he was certain that just being with Michael, even as a human, the archangel could make sure he never died - he still thought that things were better off this way. It was just the way he was.

"No," he finally spoke up again after a long time, probably interrupting Sam, though the word wasn't harsh, or angry, just simple and direct, down to the point. His brother paused, glancing up at him, as Adam shook his head a little, leaning forward slightly and propping himself up with one hand, the other one still gripping the beer bottle. "I'm alright with what I am, Sam. This is me - the me that I'm comfortable with. The me I've been for ten years- no, the me I've been for… over a millennia." Adam paused for a moment, pursing his lips. "I appreciate the offer. I really do. But you don't… you don't have to try and fix me, Sam." His lips twitched. "I'm not broken."

Sam stayed silent, studying him as he thought over those words. Then, finally, he huffed out a quiet laugh and nodded. "Well said," he mumbled. "If you change your mind, though…"

"I'll let you know," Adam mused, offering his older half-brother a small smile, which was returned warmly, if not slightly guiltily. After a few seconds of silence, the demon spoke again, slow and careful as he added, "and you don't have to make up for anything with it, either," he noted, watching Sam's expression shift to a mixture of surprise and uncertainty, before it was shadowed over by guilt once again. "What happened back then, it wasn't anyone's fault. Wasn't yours, wasn't mine, wasn't Michael's, or Lucifer's. It was all just a part of Chuck's grand plan. And I just didn't fit in. You couldn't have done anything he didn't want you to do."

"Still…" Sam closed his eyes for a moment, sighing deeply through his nose, and turned his head away from the demon. "What you must have went through in the Cage."

"It wasn't all bad," Adam admitted, frowning slightly now, as he let his thoughts drift back to the years he spent locked up in a Cage, with Lucifer and Michael for company - and then, when Lucifer had left, just him and Michael. No, it definitely hadn't been all bad. "Y'know, I mean, the first few years, they weren't…" He took a deep breath, letting it out in a slow sigh. "But I had Michael. And Luce was there. Hell, he was probably one of the only reasons my brain didn't melt into pudding down there," the demon admitted carefully. "I don't know if you know, but-"

"Lucifer didn't do anything in the Cage," Sam finished quietly, looking back over at him.

"I can't speak for whatever he did once he got out. But I can tell you that he wasn't at all responsible for anything that happened to me- or to you, for that matter," Adam added. "He wasn't the reason I turned into a demon down there. The Cage was responsible for that. Hell, he tried to stop it - he and Michael both, but… I don't know, guess it was just too strong. After the Transformation, though, it was easier to just exist in there, I guess. It wasn't so bad, after that."

Sam looked down for a moment, shrugging slightly as he lifted the water bottle back to his lips, downing a few more careful swallows and sinking back even further. "You still didn't deserve…" He trailed off, and Adam frowned slightly, wondering whether he was going to say _to be left behind _or _to be tortured_ \- either one, to be honest, went hand-in-hand, but neither one were the Winchesters' fault, and this was just something he had long come to accept by now.

He found his answer rather easily, though, a faint but genuine smile tugging at his lips as he lifted his own bottle to his lips. "Since when do we get what we deserve?" He asked simply after he'd swallowed his mouthful, and Sam's gaze flicked up to him at once, widening slightly, before his expression abruptly softened, the raging guilt steadily fizzling out, a small smile appearing.

"... spoken like a Winchester."

"Spoken like a _Milligan_," Adam corrected teasingly, though he couldn't deny that Sam's words had his smile widening just a little bit more. He might be ready to accept that he was a Winchester, but he'd still always be a Milligan. Someone had to honor his mother's memory.

"Yeah." Sam offered him a smile, short and sweet, a level of understanding and compassionate that Adam could vaguely recall from his mother - but, stronger than that, it reminded him of Michael. Of the soft, shy smiles his best friend would offer him, the caring gestures and the warm expressions that were so often written across his face; on some level, he acknowledged, Sam reminded him of Michael to some extent. He, honestly, always had. Maybe that's why it was so hard for Adam to hate him in the long run - and maybe that's why it was so hard for Dean to hate Michael. Despite himself, the demon almost laughed at the thought. Go figure. At this point, it genuinely wouldn't have surprised him. He saw how much his brothers cared for one another - and he had long accepted, even though it had hurt at first, that he would never _truly _be a part of the tightly-knit circle they were in together. To be honest… he didn't want to be.

But it wasn't out of anger for them, or any deep-rooted hatred. They were his brothers, and he liked them fairly well. Maybe one day he'd even grow to love them, he was getting there. But, until then, he was satisfied with the arrangement they had. Sam and Dean had each other, through thick and thin, that's just how it had always been with them and Adam didn't _expect _them to invite him fully into the relationship they shared. Their connection was much like his and Michael's, in some ways, and Adam knew if the roles were reversed, it'd be exactly the same. But just as Sam and Dean had their relationship, Michael and Adam had theirs. They had their own circle that nobody else was allowed to break into, their own connection nobody would truly be able to grasp. And in some ways, their relationship was even stronger than Sam and Dean's.

After all, his brothers could only be together physically. Adam and Michael connected on a much deeper level, a spiritual level, connected not by blood, but by _souls_. And you can say that blood is thicker than water all you want, but in most cases, sometimes water could be much more pure. It was clearer, it was cleaner. And maybe it didn't pump through your veins as strongly, but it was still a part of you, and you still needed it to survive just as well. So, see, Adam didn't need to be a part of the Winchester duo. He'd happily accept them as his brothers and he'd even allow himself to grow fond of them, but the only one he needed was Michael.

Shaking his head a little, he hopped off of the table, finally ready to face the crowd again and see if Jesse was there yet so he could get this show on the road, and get back to his other half. "If this doesn't work," he told Sam, "shoot me when I get back. I'm not interested in a world without Michael, by any means." He was only half-serious - and only half-serious because he was also going to make sure that Chuck suffered long and hard for whatever he did if he couldn't get Michael back this way. He was going to _destroy _the motherfucker.

The nervous smile on Sam's face made it clear that he didn't know whether or not the demon was joking - which was fair, because neither did Adam, so. The demon stretched and turned, heading into the living room again without a word, and downing half of his beer in the process. Not that it would do anything, but it was worth a shot. Everyone else was still there, but Adam was more so relieved to see Jack and Jesse had turned, both of them leaning forward across one of the tables on separate sides from each other, grinning as they spoke.

Jesse flicked his gaze up, however, when Adam walked in, and his amused grin seemed to widen ever so slightly. "Well, hey, it's about time," he spoke smoothly, his voice not giving away a hint of the emotion on his face; and, pretty soon, Adam watched as it rapidly dissipated, a calm mask of… complete, utter _blankness _replacing the warm smile that had been there before. Adam still wondered how he could do that so easily - to go back and forth just like that, like it was nothing, but he had other concerns. He didn't even react to the teasing words, just sighed.

The demon looked toward Dean, changing direction to head over to his brother and setting the beer bottle down on the table. "You ready?" He checked, direct and to the point. Dean paused a little, looking over at him, took a deep breath, nodded, and straightened up a little, looking over at Gabriel. Adam didn't understand, not at first, until his brother tugged his shirt down slightly, revealing a tattoo - at first glance, it reminded Adam of the Devil's Trap he had been trapped in back at Chuck's, but even this was much different somehow. "What's that?"

"Anti-possession tattoo," Dean explained, watching as Gabriel moved over, lightly pressing one finger down against the tattoo. The hunter clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, and Adam watched with growing interest as the tattoo began to glow, white hot with the archangel's power; and then, just as quickly, the glow faded and the tattoo was gone, skin clear, as if it had never been there in the first place. "Keeps demons out," Dean added to Adam, nodding at Gabriel in thanks and tugging his shirt back up again. "And I'm try'na let one in, so, it's gotta go."

"Mm." Adam quirked an eyebrow, actually somewhat impressed.

"So, all ready now." Dean spread his hands out and sank back against the chair again. He actually seemed rather calm, though the demon wasn't too surprised by that anymore. With the whole experience with Michael, Adam was sure, he had healed the hunter in more ways than one. Maybe he wasn't entirely 'pro-possession', but he was comfortable with it, at least, in certain cases, with certain people. Adam allowed himself to relax a little bit, as well, slowly moving over to sit down - since he wasn't going to have control of his own body, it was probably best that he was sitting when he left it, so that he didn't, like… crash to the ground or anything. Not that it would hurt, but it'd be annoying once he was _back_, so…

"A'ight," Jesse popped his knuckles, glancing between them. "So just keep in mind, I've never done this to a half-angel before… nor have I ever purposefully made a demon possess someone, but, if need be, Jack here'll take care of it, too." He smiled over at the Nephilim, who just grinned back at him innocently in response, shifting and moving around the table to stand beside him. Jesse leaned back a little, flicking his gaze back to Dean and Adam. "Speaking of the whole half-angel thing, would Adam need consent to possess you, or…?"

Dean paused, looking over at the demon, who gave a bewildered look in response. Honestly, he had no idea. Hell, he hadn't even known he was half-angel in the first place, so it wasn't like he knew all the tricks or anything. "I mean… I don't know," Dean tried, "yes, just in case?"

Adam snorted a little, as did Jesse and Jack.

"Well, that'll do, I guess." Jesse shook his head a little, lips twitching slightly with barely-restrained amusement, and Dean took a deep breath and lifted his chin when the Cambion raised one hand toward Adam. The demon narrowed his eyes, staying focused for as long as he could, and honestly not feeling any different - until, suddenly, he felt something creeping up his throat, a few wisps of black smoke streaming past his lips. His first instinct was to choke it back down, unconsciously folding his arms around himself and digging his fingers in as deep as he could. He didn't like the feeling, like every part of him was being uprooted. And, of course, he had to dig his claws in for just those few first seconds, just for a moment of control.

Jesse allowed him that, patient as ever, hand still raised, his gaze fixed on Adam. Finally, when the demon sucked in a breath and nodded, he began curling his fingers once again. Despite his discomfort, he managed not to fight this time when the smoke began pouring from his mouth, watching it with a mixture of intrigue and uncertainty as it pooled upwards into the air above him, then made a sharp zig-zag in Dean's direction. The hunter's lips parted before the smoke could even properly reach him, head tilting back, clearly ready for it.

Everything went black for a good few seconds; Adam felt his body slump backwards as the rest of the smoke left, and for a moment, he saw everything from a different kind of perspective, kind of like he was flying; he saw himself moving toward Dean - hell, moving _into _Dean, as the rest of the smoke streamed past his lips and down his throat. He could feel it, the moment his soul brushed against Dean's, and while the hunter didn't recoil, Adam did, at first. Rather than intertwining their souls, as he would have done with Michael, he continued to push himself further to find the archangel, desperate to feel his Grace again, to feel the buzz, the burn.

When he grazed against it, finally, though, it pulled back. Pushed itself deeper into the corner it was in, but it wasn't quite out of reach just yet; it would just be harder for Adam to get to now.

He brought himself back to Dean, finally wrapping his soul around the hunter's, careful not to take control. Materializing in the darkness, he took a look around, and turned. Dean's memories didn't capture any of his attention; wherever Michael was, he'd likely be in his own head, not Dean's, so the hunter wasn't his focus at all. Finally, taking a deep breath, he started forward. Heading off in the direction he had felt Michael's Grace buzzing, simmering, hiding.

_Tell Amara to begin, _he instructed Dean, eyes narrowing. _I'm gonna find Michael._


	69. Chapter 69

_**A/N: **Merry Christmas, and happy holidays, everybody! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!_

* * *

Michael stood still, facing the hallucinations in front of him.

Both were different versions of himself - versions that had both died out long ago, diminished with the prideful light one of them had displayed, diminished with the faith that had once been their entire being. They were both long gone by now, in the real world, but here they stood, facing Michael as if they were real - as if they could be real. One of them wore the face of Dean Winchester himself, but it wasn't him. He dressed too formal, sporting a hat, and stood tall with a proud smile written across his face, his shoulders drawn up, head raised, bringing himself to his full height. Beside him, in a bit of a more casual stance, stood another man. He wore the face of a younger John Winchester, who Michael could remember possessing in the past; he flicked his gaze over the other archangel in silence, ruefully thinking how odd it was how they all stood; Him, in the form of Adam Milligan, and these two as John and Dean Winchester, respectively. It was like some sort of twisted family reunion, if one thought too hard about it.

But these archangels weren't his family - they were him. In twisted, cruel ways, they were him. They weren't real - something Michael struggled to remind himself of - but even then, it didn't erase the fact that they were standing in front of him, did it? Like Zachariah had said, they didn't need to be real to seem real. And those condescending, arrogant smirks seemed far too real. The way Michael wanted to bash their heads into a wall seemed far too real.

The one looking like John stepped forward, ever-so careful. He moved with a grace that Michael had lost so long ago, and the cold smile on his face spoke of pride, faith and arrogance all rolled into one. Staring back into the face that had once been his, Michael could see it etched into every line of his face; he was nothing more than his Father's tool. Even back then, he had known it, but he had made the most of it, still. Held himself tall, with the knowledge that he had never been the Favorite, he had never been the Chosen One or the Righteous One; but he _had _been the Prince of Heaven, once, and he'd taken his role with dignity, hoping that one day, if he played his Father's game long enough, he would gain the respect and recognition he deserved.

He couldn't really say he missed the way he used to be, but in some respects, he missed being able to smile with such glowing pride, as if he was doing something right. Trying not to taint his thoughts in bitterness, he held his tongue upon wanting to say that he had never done anything right, and that the _him _before him was just making the same mistakes Michael had. He wasn't real; he was just a figment of Michael's imagination, and a piece of his past he was being forced to confront. The sooner he got this over with, the sooner he could focus on escaping.

John!Michael regarded him with an amusement he had lost long ago, condescending and pitying, even, as he looked Michael up and down, as if assessing him. Michael leaned back a little, uncomfortable with the lingering gaze, but saying nothing. "It's a pity," John!Michael muttered, clicking his tongue and shaking his head. "How far you've fallen. How far out of reach you are." His tone hardened, meeting Michael's gaze. "You could have been saved, but you lost faith."

"Faith is weakness," Dean!Michael muttered scornfully, sparing John!Michael an uninterested look before offering Michael a cold, amused-looking smile, taking a few steps forward and clasping his hands together in front of him. "At least this one understands that," he added dryly, while Michael simply backed away to counter the steps he was taking, looking back over his shoulder and silently praying this would end soon, that he would be taken away to somewhere else, anywhere else. It would be better than having to confront himself - quite literally - now.

"What's the matter?" Dean!Michael asked coldly, and Michael hesitantly turned back to face the other two, his shoulders tensing slightly. "Do you have somewhere more important to be?"

John!Michael had the nerve to laugh at that, like it was some kind of joke Michael didn't get. The archangel screwed his eyes shut, doing his best to block them out. It was hard enough being berated by Zachariah. But didn't he already hate himself enough? What was the point in putting these two in front of him, making them play this little game? Michael certainly knew this wasn't happening for his benefit, but did his mind really want to break him down this badly? Was he so awful that even _he _was turning against… _himself? _Was there any point fighting back, if so? For a moment, as he considered the thought, he briefly considered just throwing himself to the lions and letting them have him, much like he had done in the Cage. But, this wasn't the Cage, and he didn't have the luxury of giving in this time; not with Adam out there, fighting to get to him. Whether the one he had come across was real or not remained to be seen, but on the off-chance that he was, Michael needed to find him. Giving up wasn't an option anymore.

"See, he thinks he can just ignore us and the problem will go away," Dean!Michael commented to John!Michael, sounding amused. "Isn't that cute?"

"It's very naive," John!Michael conceded with an air of great amusement, the contempt in his voice doing nothing to stifle the burning, bubbling hatred he already felt toward his former self; opening his eyes, he offered the hallucination a glare, his hands shaking slightly as he struggled hard against his own fury. They weren't real; this reminder was what would keep him sane, something he had failed to tell himself back in the Cage. No, back then, he had allowed his own insanity to score all winning points, allowed all of the hallucinations, that circled around him like _vultures _ready to feed on their prey, to win the fight. But he couldn't do that this time.

"Oh, why not?" Dean!Michael snorted a little, hands in his pockets now. Michael twisted his mouth sharply, looking down and closing his eyes again. "Y'know, everything would be much easier if you just stopped fighting. Just, gave up. Like I did. Hell, like you did. Maybe if you'd given up sooner, you wouldn't be _in _this mess, would you?" Dean!Michael's tone sharpened, causing Michael to wince instinctively, "you wouldn't be this broken little angel you are now."

"You'd still be like me," John!Michael added calmly. "You'd still have something left. But now? Now you've got nothing more than… well, yourself. And some demon- a speck of infernal bile. One you should have destroyed long ago. One _I _would have." Michael's eyes snapped open, mouth opening to snarl out a response, but he didn't have the chance. "You're… lost."

"_You're-_" Michael growled back, lips curling slightly as he opened his mouth. But his breath hitched before he could even consider what to say next, and his lower jaw trembled, then quietly snapped back into place, ducking his head and squeezing his eyes shut as tight as possible. No, he couldn't argue back, he couldn't interact with them, he couldn't let himself fall back into this. A part of him mourned the fact that they were right. He was broken. Or, at least, most of him was broken, and he wasn't even sure he could be fixed. Here he was, trying so hard to be better, trying to be anything but the archangel Chuck had made him into, but he just kept getting dragged back with each second that ticked by. It was inescapable. It was terrifying.

"He can't even _argue_." Dean!Michael groaned. "This is pathetic."

John!Michael sighed. "Of course he can't _argue_. I'm not wrong, am I?" He challenged both of them, an amused smile forming on his lips. Michael cracked his eyes open, but he didn't look up yet, the pain in his chest twisting harder and harder with each moment. He placed a hand over his stomach, pressing down slightly, bringing up yet another rush of that sharp, burning pain. "He's got nothing left without Father."

At this, Dean!Michael seemed to pause a little. "He has revenge," the hallucination finally considered, sounding contemplative, and John!Michael offered a confused look while Michael's eyes snapped back up to Dean!Michael's face, his entire body going tense. In response, Dean!Michael offered him an amused, shark-like smile, raising his chin a little. "Ah, you like the thought of that, don't you?" He pressed, taking a few steps forward. "The thought of getting back at dear old Dad for making a fool of you? For abandoning you just like he did me?" His head tilted. "You see? We're not too different, you and I."

"Well-" John!Michael cut in before Dean!Michael could continue, before Michael could react. "That's not quite what he needs. He needs to ask for forgiveness," he added, throwing Michael a sharp glance. "For losing faith and loyalty in God."

"_God _doesn't deserve faith or loyalty," Dean!Michael retorted darkly, turning his head to look back at John!Dean. Michael blinked, glancing back and forth between them, then sucked in a deep breath, finally realizing what was going on. The classic 'angel and devil on your shoulders' bit. Of course, at the same time, they were both like little devils right then. One leading him on the path to revenge and the other leading him on the path to forgiveness. Neither of which he _wanted_; he was going to get justice, for sure, but he didn't want to hurt anyone but Chuck in doing so. The blind revenge that the alternate Michael had been after scared him.

And the idea of forgiving Chuck just went without saying.

Michael pressed his eyes shut and breathed in softly, somewhat shakily, before letting his breath out in a huff and twisting his mouth into a frown. It was almost impossible to drown the other two out, but he did so only to focus on Adam, struggling to find him through the darkness.

He realized, a little too late, that he couldn't sense anything from the demon. No emotions, no thoughts, absolutely nothing. The archangel sucked in a gasp, fighting against the panic clawing its way up his throat, cutting off his airways and making his lungs ache. He had to stay calm if he was going to get through this; Panicking just made it harder to fight the hallucinations, to pretend they didn't exist, to acknowledge that they weren't real. They would leave him be, eventually, he just had to focus on something else. And that 'something else', being his connection to Adam, was even harder to focus on now than it should have been.

Finally, just when the panic became so strong he thought he could drown in it, he heard it. It was soft, quiet, almost to the point of nonexistence; but it was there, and more than anything else, Michael knew it had to be real. _Michael, _Adam's voice broke through the panic and fear and confusion that had been dragging the archangel down, the despair fizzling away with each word. _Halo, I don't know if you can hear this, but… _

"Adam," Michael breathed, running his fingers through his hair and gripping the sides of his head tightly. John!Michael and Dean!Michael faded away - more figuratively than literally - as he focused completely on the demon's words. "Adam- _Adam_ I can hear you, I-" He stopped himself, a hand over his mouth, desperately willing him to continue. He was shaking now, but less with fear and more with anticipation, his chest ten times lighter and the foggy cloud of panic having been lifted tenfold, grasping at whatever piece of his best friend that he could.

Unfortunately, Adam didn't continue for a while, and the silence made it easier for John!Michael's voice to break through, sharp and commanding as he approached Michael. "You don't need that disgusting, incessant pit of _filth_-"

Michael reacted before he could even really register what he was doing; he simply lashed out, grabbing onto whatever part of the hallucination he could reach - which was John!Michael's wrist - and simply slinging them backwards, away from him. He watched, wincing a little, as his former self went crashing back, but instead of feeling guilty, or afraid, he felt almost satisfied. The archangel sucked in a deep breath and stumbled back a few steps, lifting his hand back to his head and closing his eyes again, as tight as possible. "Adam… Adam, say something…"

"You're weak," John!Michael roared, pushing himself to stand. "You're a weak, useless _coward!"_

"Hiding behind a demon, of all creatures," Dean!Michael jeered with a sharp little laugh, as Michael screwed his eyes shut to the point where it almost hurt. "And yet you think _I'm _bad. But you- you just need someone to cling onto, don't you? You just need someone to steady yourself against, because poor little baby Michael can't stand up on his own. You're _pathetic_," he spat. "You're a pathetic, worthless good-for-nothing."

"Stop- _stop talking_," Michael hissed, ignoring the way the words made his chest twist and tighten, the pain that they incited; he needed to listen, he needed to hear Adam. "Stop."

_You gotta wake up, man._

"You don't deserve Father's love," John!Michael seethed. "You don't even deserve to exist anymore. You're lucky he allowed you to live after you failed him. You're lucky he hasn't destroyed you, and you'll be lucky if he doesn't. Or maybe you'd be better off," he added darkly, "maybe being dead would be better than being _nothing_. The nothing that you are, and the nothing that you've always been. He knew it. We know it. _You know it."_

"Adam knows it," Dean!Michael added coldly.

Michael flinched back a little bit, bringing his hands up over his ears now instead. They were getting harder and harder to drown out, and Adam was getting harder to hear over the near _screeching _they were doing now, their desperation to be heard. He didn't understand it, not at first, why they seemed to be grabbing for his attention so recklessly, why Adam's voice hadn't already flushed them out completely. The demon had always been able to silence the internal voices, the whispers in his ears, no matter how loud they were. The only time he struggled was back in the Cage, locked up inside his own head with his own self-loathing, the only time it could flush Adam out so effectively, so viciously, was back in the Cage. The Cage, the _Cage_…

"Well, aren't you a smart cookie," Zachariah muttered from behind him, as Dean!Michael and John!Michael were finally silenced; Michael's eyes flew open, staring ahead. They were both gone, the darkness around them having given way to something else entirely, something Michael wasn't quite expecting to see. It was the park, of all places. Zachariah wouldn't have brought him here, for sure - Michael must have, if only subconsciously… the archangel turned slowly to face his brother. "Too bad you figured it out. It was fun while it lasted."

"What-? Dad," Michael mumbled, somewhat frantically. "Dad. What did he do?"

Rather than answering, Zachariah just turned his head to the side, looking intrigued, as if he was listening to something; Michael paused, straining to hear it, as well, and he nearly fell to his knees when Adam's voice started up again, soft and pleading. _I'm going to try and come in there myself… Mike, man, please… if I can't reach you, even in there… _

"Looks like the cavalry's coming," Zachariah noted dryly, "I wonder if he'll be able to fight… you."

Michael stared back at him, his teeth grinding together, but he said nothing. Oh, there were so many things he wanted to say - so many things he wished he had the confidence to, but the words just wouldn't leave. He didn't even know how to begin. He just wanted his best friend. But the realization that what was happening here - hallucinations, Zachariah trying to break him, John!Michael and Dean!Michael - wasn't just his own imagination, his own insanity, but an outside source as well, left him somewhat despaired. He couldn't fight himself, but he certainly hadn't been able to fight the Cage, and it had, ultimately, succeeded in breaking him down.

"You're just not strong enough, Michael," Zachariah told him, taking a few steps forward and tucking his hands into his pockets with an amused little smirk now. "You weren't then. You aren't now. So why don't you do yourself a favor and just give in? Wasn't throwing the towel in easier than putting up a fight?" His brother pressed, pausing just in front of him now. "I mean, come on. How many times is Adam gonna have to put you back together again before he runs out of glue? Hell, I bet he's already getting sick of having to pick your sorry ass up every time you fall apart. Why he even tries anymore is beyond me. So why keep putting him in that position?" Michael didn't respond, just flinched slightly, keeping his gaze downcast. "You're not important enough for him, Michael, and he's gonna realize it. Sooner or later, he's gonna leave you. Wouldn't it be better to just break now instead of later? It'd sure as hell hurt a lot less."

Michael didn't respond for a moment, thinking back to the things Adam had said to him before - _"Buddy, this is forever. You and me. Adam and Michael. Michael and Adam." - _but it was even more than that, it was… the feelings. The emotions Adam displayed; the first time Michael had begun to realize that their relationship was even deeper than he had known, after he'd almost gotten them killed, when Adam had been so _angry_ with him - but not for putting the demon in danger, but for putting _himself _in a situation where he could have been hurt. The fear of losing him had stunned the archangel, if only for a few seconds, just the realization that even if Adam couldn't quite say it aloud just yet, he really did mean something to the demon.

And then, gradually, he'd watched as Adam softened, more and more each day, becoming much more open with everything he was feeling - "_As far as I'm concerned, you're my family."_ \- the little gestures, the words, even the smiles that Adam allowed himself every so often. They spoke volumes, and they spoke more truth than Zachariah ever had, would, or _could_.

Because Adam didn't lie. Not to him.

Michael's confidence was already beginning to strengthen before Adam's voice found its way back to his ears again, enveloping him in the calm, direct, _honest _serenity that the demon so often displayed, and he couldn't keep back a smile despite himself at the words that Adam spoke. _I need you. That's the thing with us, man, I need you, and you need me. We only had each other then, and we only got each other now._

Truthfully, Michael had never believed anything more.

_You and me. No God, no grand story. We write our own beginning, and we write our own ending. We're the ones that broke through. We're the ones that weren't supposed to be part of the story, but we put ourselves in anyway. _

The archangel's smile widened a little bit at that. It was true - despite everything, despite Chuck's best attempts to push them back, he and Adam had forced their way right back into the 'story', had built themselves up out of absolutely nothing. That took strength - from both ends.

_So let's make it ours- you and me, just like it's always been, and kick it in the ass._

"You're not even listening to me anymore, are you?" Zachariah's voice broke into the archangel's thoughts by the time the prayer finally ended, and Michael was practically grinning to himself at that point; even his brother couldn't wipe the smile away as he blinked his eyes open and looked back up, leaning back slightly and focusing on the other angel. He found that the pain had gone, the fears and uncertainties that had plagued his mind had been quieted, and even the constant, whispering voices had shut up. Like every bit of negativity had just drained away - not temporarily, either. Like it was gone, diminished, evaporated, finally stifled by the newfound sense of… contentment that had settled in the archangel's chest.

And he embraced it, feeling, for the first time, that he finally deserved it.

"No. Not anymore," he told Zachariah distractedly, turning his head away for a moment, then taking a deep breath. Ever so slowly, he straightened up, tugging his arms from around himself and letting them drop back to his sides instead. "Because you're not real. You or your little lies. I'm not _weak_, and I'm not a coward. I'm…" He trailed off for a moment, narrowing his eyes slightly as he struggled to find the words to say what he wanted to say, what needed to be said. "I gave… my entire life to someone who never cared from the beginning. I was betrayed. Used. Abandoned. Thrown into Hell. And for a while, I thought that I deserved it - and, you know what? It was exactly what I deserved, because it helped me see exactly what a piece of shit the man I had lived my entire life to serve really was." His expression twisted slightly, eyes darkening, though less with anger and more with determination. "And I'm going to be there when we put him away. I'm going to stand side by side with my friends and my family while the one that caused all of us so much pain and suffering for his own amusement is finally punished."

Zachariah didn't say a word, just stared at him, fury and contempt flickering through his eyes.

"I'm not nothing," Michael muttered, mostly to himself now, rather than the hallucination before him. "I'm a _Goddamn warrior_ and I'm gonna finally do what's right, because _Chuck _gave up the power to control me when he left me in the Cage. And when he's gone, we're gonna write ourselves a brand new story, with our own happy ending, free from the web he's spun. He can't stop me - and _you _can't stop me," he challenged Zachariah, eyes narrowed. "So either you let me go, or you keep it coming, but one way or another, I'm getting the fuck out of here."

"But you're not strong enough," Zachariah challenged, "you won't let yourself _be _strong enough. That's why you're in this mess, because you know you don't deserve it. You're just a maggot-"

"I," Michael interrupted sharply, drawing himself up to his full height and taking a step forward. "Am the _Prince of Heaven_. Whether Chuck made me or not, _that_ is what he made me." He sucked in a deep breath, almost a gasp, hands curling into fists at his sides. The adrenaline coursing through him seemed to be pumping stronger than ever now, blazing, _burning_.

"And I'm strong enough," the archangel continued slowly, "to do whatever I damn well please."

The park jolted, suddenly, abrupt and sharp, like an earthquake; it took only a second for Zachariah to disappear from where he'd been standing in front of Michael, just moments before. And, just when the archangel was about to turn to leave, satisfied that the park was empty and he could move on to finally get back to wherever Adam was, he found himself facing the demon; he jumped a little despite himself, more out of surprise than anything, but Adam just laughed a little as he pushed himself back on the swing he was seated on, an amused smile playing on his lips as he looked over at Michael. "So, you finally did it," he commented.

Michael paused for a second, a little uncertain. He didn't answer yet, just asked, cautiously, "are you real?" Because, of course, he couldn't be sure, even now. He thought back to how Adam had appeared before him, just as he was doing now, only to disappear the moment Zachariah showed up again. If this was the same case, then Michael had to be prepared for anything.

"I always knew you had it in you," Adam continued casually, not answering the question. "Just wondered how long it would take for you to grow a pair. I gotta admit, I'm not disappointed." He pushed himself back on the swing again, humming in amusement as he was propelled forward.

Michael frowned a little, more or less unnerved that his question had been left unanswered. But before he had the chance to ask again, knowing there was really no other way to be sure - though, to be completely honest, he was already certain that this Adam, sitting in front of him, _wasn't _real, as the demon would have answered by then - he felt it; a sudden rush of emotions, not from his side, but from Adam's. It all came pouring in again, the barrier between them seemingly crumbled along with Zachariah's disappearance, and the archangel whirled around the moment he felt it. There was concern, there was frustration, and confusion - but then, abruptly, when Adam seemed to feel their connection return to full strength, there was nothing but relief and excitement, something that the archangel could feel just as strongly.

"Hey, tell me I said hi," 'Adam' piped up from behind him, laughter tainting his words. Michael glanced back at him, blinking, wondering why - if he really wasn't real, and was just a figment of his imagination - he wasn't berating him, beating him down like the other hallucinations had tried to do. It didn't make sense until 'Adam' snorted, smirked, and rolled his eyes, replying smoothly,

"Come on, asshole. You didn't really expect me to be the villain in your story, did you?"

"_Michael!_"

The archangel turned, at once. Unlike 'Adam''s cool, calm, collected tone, the voice that greeted him was full of concern, anxious but still buzzing with the relief that they had been reunited once again. The very second Michael's eyes focused on Adam's face - the _real _Adam - that was it; he practically lit up, not hesitating in rushing forward to meet the demon halfway as he approached.

The very first thing he did was wrap his arms around Adam, feeling more calm and secure than ever the moment he finally reached the demon. His best friend hugged him back tighter than he ever had before, as if he was afraid that he would lose him again the second he let go; Michael buried his face into Adam's shoulder, content to stay exactly where he was for at least the next few years that followed, because he'd been separated from the demon long enough, and he didn't think he'd be able to let him go again after all of this. He relaxed into Adam's embrace, breathing out a soft sigh, muffled by the fabric of his friend's suit as his eyes drifted shut. It was over; Zachariah was gone, he'd beaten the hallucinations, he'd pushed past his own insanity and he'd done it - mostly - by himself. And now that it was over, he could be with Adam again.

Abruptly, the demon began to push him away; the archangel opened his mouth to protest, but he hardly had any time to. "Are you okay?" Adam demanded, looking him up and down. Michael took the chance to glance him over a bit, as well, feeling weak with relief upon seeing that the demon, himself, looked unharmed. "_Are you okay?" _Adam repeated sharply.

"I-" Michael shook his head a little, pulling himself from his own thoughts to respond. "I'm fine, I'm okay, I promise- are you?" He brought his gaze back to Adam's, searching the demon's eyes somewhat desperately, feeling relieved when he saw the concern fade into a mixture of relief and - surprisingly enough - a little bit of _amusement_, even, as the demon pulled away.

"I'm so much better than okay," Adam admitted, huffing out a laugh. "Boy, do I have a story for you."

"Me, too," Michael laughed a little, as well, despite himself, feeling weak with relief - but, surprisingly, not at all exhausted. Hell, he felt more energized than he had felt in a while. Like his adrenaline was still pumping, like he could do just about anything. But the only thing he wanted to do was settle down with Adam again, to hear his stories and tell his own. Oh, he knew how proud the demon would be of him finally telling Zachariah off, finally managing to push past the chains of self-doubt and self-loathing that he had coiled so tightly around him. He closed his eyes for a moment, but, as another thought occurred, his relief slowly fizzled away. "Wait a second," he began, blinking his eyes open and looking down at Adam. "Oh, the park-"

"Don't worry about that," Adam interrupted quickly, "everything's taken care of. I'm back at the bunker - hell, at the moment, I'm actually in Dean's head." Michael blinked, his expression twisting slightly in confusion, as the demon clarified somewhat amusedly, "it was the only way I could reach you. Dreamwalking wasn't exactly cutting it this time. It was like… like something…"

"Was blocking you out," Michael finished, recalling Zachariah's words. _You can't get out and they can't get in_. The archangel grimaced a little, shaking his head. "I think I might be able to explain that. Like I said, I've got a few stories of my own." He paused, his expression softening once again as he met Adam's gaze once more, a small smile appearing on his face. "After you."

Adam nodded a little, a sly smile appearing on his face. "Well, it'd be a lot easier to _show _you," he told the archangel wryly, and Michael froze for a second, his expression shifting; his eyes lit up at once, and the slight smile turned into a full-on grin at the implications. They were in the same place again; Adam was back at the bunker and, with his permission, they could both easily leave Dean's body to go back to their own vessel, reunited once again. There wasn't anything Michael could hear right then that could be more relieving, more _gratifying _than that.

"Yes," the archangel breathed out eagerly, taking a step forward, and Adam's lips tugged into a grin, looking just as excited as Michael was now. "Yes it would. We- we can…?"

"Yeah," Adam laughed a little, reaching out and putting a hand on Michael's shoulder; the archangel leaned into the touch, smiling warmly back at his best friend. "We can." Adam smiled at him, brighter and warmer than ever, every bit of the relief Michael was feeling etched clearly across the demon's face. And, in response, he felt his own relief growing stronger, the warmth in his chest intensifying until the archangel honestly felt like he just might explode from it all. "So whattya say we get the fuck outta here and catch up, huh, halo?"

Michael huffed out a laugh, grabbing onto the demon's arm, mostly to ensure he didn't collapse. "Took the words right out of my mouth, horns."


	70. Chapter 70

Truthfully enough, Adam had never felt more relieved. He felt like he could just about collapse against Michael right then, and to be honest the rest would have been more than welcome, but he knew there was still more to do before he could close his eyes just yet. He offered the archangel an amused smile - particularly taken by the little nickname Michael seemed to have adopted. _Horns_. He had to admit, it made him laugh. It fit so perfectly with his own nickname for the archangel, clicking into place just as easily as the two of them were often able to. His lips twitched, quirking upwards at the corners as he looked over at his best friend, then turned his head slightly to look away, glancing around the park for only a second before he shut his eyes. _Hey, _he called out to Dean, prodding at the hunter with his thoughts, _are you ready, or…?_

There was a moment's pause, and he could feel Dean shifting slightly in the chair he was seated in. Michael looked up, and Adam peeked one eye open to look back at him, a faint smile appearing on his face as the archangel lightly brushed past him and headed for the jungle gym. He turned to follow almost immediately, keeping an ear out for Dean's 'okay' as he turned to sink his weight back against the bars, leaning backwards beside Michael as the archangel hoisted himself up ever so slightly onto one of the bars, letting his legs swing downwards.

"Did I miss much?" Michael asked after a moment, looking over at Adam once again. The demon paused slightly, as the archangel furrowed his eyebrows, a concerned look replacing the curiosity on his face as he leaned his head back and looped his arms around the bars behind him. "I wasn't out for too long, was I?" He asked slowly, looking worried. "I mean, I wasn't-" He paused when Adam shook his head to stop him, snapping his mouth shut and giving the demon an expectant look. He simply took a deep breath and turned his gaze to the sky, his eyes narrowing faintly against the sunlight - however fake it might be - as he twisted his mouth into a frown and thought that over. No, Michael hadn't been 'out' for too long… long enough, but…

"You've been out for about… A day and a half, give or take," Adam finally replied, sighing softly. Michael didn't say anything, but he visibly relaxed beside the demon, prompting Adam to look back over at him. The relief on his face said it all; it had felt agonizingly longer to _both _of them. "Felt like longer in here, huh?" He glanced the archangel over carefully, frowning a little when Michael's mouth tugged into a grimace, then relaxed again a moment later, offering a shrug. He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to, and he knew it; Adam could read him like a book at this point, and there wasn't really anything the archangel had to say for the demon to just _know_. He knew his body-buddy well enough by now. Opening his mouth, he started to say something else, though he wasn't sure what, something that would hopefully reassure him somehow - but, before he could find the words, he was interrupted; looking away from Michael, the demon narrowed his eyes, pushing himself away from the jungle gym as Dean's voice reached him.

_Alright, ready._

Adam took a deep breath and turned, quirking an eyebrow at Michael questioningly. The archangel didn't hesitate to stand, rolling his shoulders back and stepping toward the demon. "I can't wait to get back to normal," Michael sighed, a relieved smile appearing on his face.

"Me either," Adam agreed, chuckling. He paused for a moment, rubbing his hand down his face and opening his mouth to explain that Michael would have to guide them for the most part, as Adam wasn't exactly sure how to _leave_ now - but, before he could even spit the first word out, Michael had reached a hand out toward him, an amused smile on his face; Adam snorted a little - of course, the archangel knew him just as well - and reached his own hand out, allowing the archangel to wrap his fingers around the demon's wrist, eyes slipping shut for a few seconds. "Hey- you can do this, right?" Adam added quickly, studying him for a moment. Michael seemed okay - and Adam had felt it himself when Amara had begun healing the archangel, but still…

"Yeah, buddy," Michael assured him, cracking an eye open to smile at him. "I can do this." Adam's lips twitched slightly at the archangel's confident expression, and he nodded slightly back at Michael as he closed his eyes again, concentrating deeply. After a moment, Adam followed suit, deciding it better to keep his eyes shut through this, as intriguing as it was. He was having an easier time with the whole 'out-of-body-flying' experience thing, but still, he wasn't going to push that too hard, either way. The demon shifted slightly, relaxing.

He felt Michael's hand slip from his grasp, but he could feel the archangel's Grace buzzing, curling around the demon's fingers instead. At least until Adam's hand dissolved into the same black smoke that he had turned into before; the demon shuddered a little, unable to help but feel odd as the rest of his body followed his hand's lead, becoming nothing but thick, black smoke. He could see again, though he hadn't opened his eyes; he could see Michael's Grace as it wove forward, moving through the air… _grace_fully - hah, Adam would have laughed if he could've - over to him. The archangel curled his Grace around the demon's soul - hell, not just around; it stretched out, spreading in different directions, some of it threading right through the small gaps in the smoke, filling up the empty holes Adam's soul left as it drifted somewhat aimlessly. Intrigued, the demon prodded forward a little, extending his soul toward the archangel in response, and managing to wind himself around Michael's Grace just as he was doing, the smoke spreading and filling up the little gaps in the buzzing, burning, electric blue Grace.

They fit so perfectly that Adam actually wondered for a second how Dean was Michael's true vessel, when he and the archangel fit together better than he ever could with the hunter.

Michael's Grace buzzed lightly in response, brightening slightly in agreement.

Then, ever so slowly, they began to move; Adam relaxed as Michael guided him along, continuing to coil up and around the archangel's Grace as they moved, keeping themselves perfectly intertwined with one another. It was an amazing sight - to be honest, Adam wondered what it would look like from the outside, as beautiful as it was up close. He followed after the archangel steadily, not noticing the way their souls began to fuse together, the way the black and blue steadily mixed, becoming - more or less - one. Complete. Whole. And, by the time they left Dean - Michael was careful to slow them down in the process, trying not to hurt the hunter - they were moving as one. Adam tugged them toward his own body, and Michael obliged.

Now, their souls fitting together was one thing - but as they settled back in their body again, everything was right with the world, for that moment. Adam gasped slightly, spreading out slightly to fill every little corner. Michael went with him, their souls moving in sync, as one - hell, at this point, their souls _were _one. They had fused together completely; Michael's Grace was Adam's, and Adam's soul was Michael's. They were officially one and the same, even more so than before, and the demon flexed their fingers curiously at the realization, while the archangel slowly shifted in their seat, a rush of relief rising in their chest. It was perfect again. Normal.

They fell back into the steady rhythm of sharing control again. God, somehow it was even easier to fit together. Adam rubbed a hand over their mouth, and Michael sank back into the seat, turning their head to look around. Their eyes widened slightly, prompting the demon to force his attention back to everyone else around them. Dean's head had fallen back, the hunter having fallen unconscious. He was breathing just as steadily as he had been before, though Sam and Castiel were hovering over him now, concerned. Michael pushed them to sit up, concerned.

"Is he okay?"

"He's fine," Castiel replied quickly, lifting his hand from Dean's forehead and wincing slightly as the white-golden glow from his hand died down. Michael frowned at that, and Adam narrowed their eyes a little, but turned his gaze back to his brother almost immediately. "His mind overwhelmed itself, having both of you in his head… his body needs to rest," the angel added, looking back down at Dean. Jack shuffled over to them, laying a hand on the hunter's shoulder.

"I'm gonna take him back to bed," Sam chuckled a little, offering his older brother a fond look. Adam arched an eyebrow, honestly slightly amused, himself. "He's earned a good rest."

"Agreed," the demon huffed a little, recalling how Dean had practically refused to sleep the night before; of course he passed out, he was probably exhausted, and stressed. As Sam lifted their brother up from the chair, Adam stretched out again, grinning a little to himself, and crossed their arms behind their head with a low hum, lifting their eyes to the ceiling. "So, halo," he began, "how's it feel to be back and kickin', eh?"

Michael didn't even need to speak - the warmth and relief and happiness radiating from the archangel told Adam everything he needed to know. But, he spoke up anyway, smiling as he turned their head to glance around the room. "Amazing," he responded honestly, and for lack of a better word. Their gaze focused first on Gabriel, and then immediately snapped up to Lucifer, who was leaning back beside the archangel and watching them cautiously, though with a faint, tired-looking smile on his face. Adam paused a little at that, once more reminded that, yes, something was wrong with the Devil, but he brushed it aside for the time being. "Hey, guys."

Gabriel's face split into a grin, walking over to him, and Lucifer followed suit. The youngest archangel wove around the chair, punching their shoulder. "Scare us like that again…"

Michael winced a little bit, but he was grinning. Adam retreated a little, not even bothering to growl at Gabriel, because to be honest, if he wasn't so happy to have the archangel back, he would've punched him in the _face_. Michael laughed a little as he acknowledged this, bringing an amused smirk to Adam's lips as the demon shook their head. "I'm sorry," the archangel told his brothers honestly, flicking their gaze back over to Lucifer and offering a small smile. "I didn't mean to scare anybody. I mean- I would've woken up if I could've, but it wasn't really my _fault-_" He paused, spreading their hands out slightly, then dropped them into their lap again. "Which, ah, reminds me- I'll fill you guys in later, but… first thing's first." He flashed the other two a sheepish smile - and Adam tilted his head a little, his own smile widening faintly. He seemed so much more… confident, so much more at ease with himself. It was different - yet, the same.

He paused a little bit when Michael retreated, and quickly followed after the archangel. The darkness was welcome, relaxing; Adam found himself stumbling a little on his feet, finally somewhat exhausted now that the drama had died down. Michael caught him by the arm as the demon staggered, throwing him a comforting little smile, and Adam just snorted.

"So, recaps are needed," the demon hummed, looking around the darkness for a moment, then letting his eyes drift shut. They'd done this before, catching each other up when one of them had been asleep, missing certain events. So it wasn't anything too different, Adam just had to think back to the past few days, to things he hadn't already told Michael about. The archangel seemed rather excited - for what, the demon wasn't really sure, but it made him smile. He left his own memories - Michael was already prodding, not afraid but still, of course, being careful. There wasn't anything they couldn't share between them, there wasn't any _privacy _in their relationship anymore, really, but Adam knew it wouldn't be the archangel if he wasn't somewhat cautious. So, amused, he brushed it aside, simply letting Michael do his thing and turning his attention to the archangel's memories, instead, running backwards through them. He caught a few glimpses of Zachariah, of all angels, but he shoved those concerns aside; they could wait until he'd seen the entire thing through. Hopefully it wouldn't take too long, he was curious now.

It went frighteningly slowly from the beginning, right after Michael had fallen unconscious. For a while, there was nothing but darkness, so Adam skipped forward just a little bit until it finally began to shift. It wasn't quite a dream - more of a hellish nightmare, and while Adam was confused as to how he couldn't reach Michael, even then, he watched on in silence, having to physically restrain himself from grinding his teeth together when Zachariah finally came in, just as slimy and manipulative as Adam remembered. The demon scowled, fingers flexing slightly at his sides, hands curling into fists before stretching out again, aching to get at least one punch in on the angel's stupid face. It was no better when Zachariah began spitting insults at Michael.

Regardless, he pressed on - frowning a little at the memories that were thrown at the archangel, of the other Michael, from the other universe. The things he did to Dean, the things he said - his wariness made sense, though it already had, to Adam, to be completely honest. When Zachariah appeared again, the demon cracked his eyes open and looked over at Michael.

The archangel's eyes were shut, watching through Adam's memories as calmly as ever. His expression was relaxed - hell, _he _was relaxed, arms at his sides, head leaned back, his mouth pressed into a thin, neutral line and his eyebrows furrowed faintly in concentration. He compared it to the way Michael was nearly in tears from the things Zachariah was saying to him. Something happened, that much was obvious; something happened in there, but Adam wasn't sure what. Either way, he closed his eyes again and continued watching, growing more and more unsettled as it progressed, and grinding his teeth together when the other two 'Michael''s came into play. He wanted to punch them almost as much as he wanted to punch Zachariah.

He frowned a little when he was called a disgusting, incessant piece of filth, but he brushed it aside rather easily. And almost started laughing when Michael practically threw John!Michael backwards into the wall - oh, how satisfying it was to watch. He found his smile widening that much more as the memory played on, finally huffing out a few chuckles every so often when Michael began telling Zachariah off. A mixture of proud and amazed, he blinked his eyes open again to look back over at his best friend, the grin on his face not faltering a bit.

It took a while for Michael to open his own eyes, a contemplative expression on his face, though he was smiling quite a bit himself. Looking back over at Adam, the archangel allowed his face to split into a grin, as the demon shuffled over to stand a little closer to him, nudging Michael's shoulder with his own and shaking his head. "Well, look at you," he chuckled a little, pride swelling in his chest like a balloon, feeling just about ready to burst. And, to be honest, his cheeks hurt from smiling so much, but he couldn't help it. Everything Michael had said to Zachariah, it had been everything Adam had always been trying to show him. Everything he'd wanted the archangel to realize for himself. And, it seemed like Michael was finally coming to terms with himself, finally forgiving himself, finally accepting and learning to love himself.

Which was good - as much as Michael loved, and as fiercely and so, completely, achingly unconditionally, he deserved to be able to reserve some of that for himself.

Michael's lips twitched, and, without a word, he wrapped one arm around Adam and tugged him into a small side-hug. Adam huffed a little, more or less amused than annoyed, as he looped his arm around the archangel carefully and offered a small squeeze, which Michael returned gently. "Look at _you_," his best friend retorted, a quiet half-chuckle rumbling in his chest as he grinned over at the demon. "Hell… look at us," he exhaled slowly and sank his weight sideways - causing Adam to stagger a little bit, huffing out a laugh in the process, and Michael joined in.

"Watch it, asshole," the demon chuckled, shoving lightly at the archangel. "Jesus."

"Not quite," Michael drawled with a smile on his face, his eyes sparkling brighter than they had in a long time, and Adam found himself returning the smile with equal warmth and enthusiasm. Everything was alright now, at least for now - he and Michael were reunited at last, and together, they could all work on taking down Chuck. The archangel hummed, leaning back again. "Yeah."

"We got this, yeah?" Adam glanced over at the archangel. He was already fairly confident that they could win, despite the circumstances. At the very least, they had a pretty good plan. Michael hummed lightly in agreement, not speaking, but Adam could still hear the quiet _damn right_ echoing through his head as the archangel looked away, mildly contemplative now. Adam arched an eyebrow, easily thinking along with him. A few choice images flashed through his head, blood and gold and the sword that Chuck had stabbed Dean with, and then suddenly it all spun, dizzyingly abrupt, as Michael thought back to something Adam had heard from the memory, though he admittedly hadn't paid much attention to at first. The Cage- the sword- Chuck. They were connected. And they realized it at the same time - _why _it felt familiar.

To Adam. To Michael. To Lucifer. Even Gabriel.

It was part of the Cage. It had been made from a part of the Cage. Adam's expression twisted slightly as his thought that over, furrowing his eyebrows and twisting his mouth into a grimace. Michael simply pulled away, but not before offering a tentative squeeze to the demon's shoulder, silently explaining that he was simply going to inspect the sword, before he abruptly vanished, leaving Adam standing alone in the darkness. The demon shoved his hands into his pockets and stared down, still lost in his own thoughts for awhile - as well as Michael's. Hell, they were both thinking about a hundred miles a minute. Neither of them could stop.

He started to follow Michael, only to falter, frowning, mouth twisting slightly as he fought back a yawn and lifted his hands back to his face, lightly rubbing his fingers into his eyes. The brief surge of exhaustion was shaken off rather easily - and when Michael chided that he needed to get some rest, he refuted by saying he would, eventually, later on - and he brought himself up to take control along with his body-buddy, grinning slightly at how easily they clicked into place.

"Where did Gabriel go?" Michael was asking Lucifer, who was propped up against the table beside him, head lolling back across his shoulders in… well, it looked uncomfortable, but the Devil didn't really seem the mind it. Adam stretched their fingers out a little as Michael reached down to pick up the sword, curling their fingers around the handle himself and lifting it up. The archangel turned it over, inspecting it carefully, and Adam narrowed their eyes slightly.

"He and Rowena, are, ah… 'researching'," Lucifer replied easily, lifting his head to look over at them now, and then back down at the sword with a chuckle. "'Researching'..."

Adam let out a small laugh despite himself, while Michael shook their head a little, a mixture of amused and disgusted at the implications. Honestly, the demon really didn't know why Michael was such a prude - there didn't seem to be any particular reason, it was just how he was, but he really didn't quite understand _why_. Regardless, he brushed the thoughts aside for the time being, retracting most of his control to allow Michael to inspect the sword on his own, but still keeping just enough to continue talking to Lucifer. "What about everyone else?"

"Well, Sam got a call," Lucifer began, "Jack and Amara are seeing if they can amp up Cas, and Jesse's gone back to the Empty to keep working on the Cage. Which reminds me, actually-" The Devil heaved himself away from the table and stretched a little, bringing his arms up over his head, and Michael glanced up for a second to watch. Adam simply arched an eyebrow, leaning their head back a little and spinning the sword somewhat absently in their hands. "It'd be nice to have the extra hands." He wiggled his fingers at them. "If you catch my drift."

"Of course," Michael agreed immediately, while Adam just nodded.

"Not now, obviously," Lucifer added, sinking his weight back against the table again. "There's nothing we can do now except wait for that to finish." He jerked his head toward the table, and Michael and Adam looked back down, eyebrows raising faintly as they finally registered the other things on the table. A bowl filled with blood, Nephilim Grace, some other things Adam didn't really care to identify. Chains were wrapped around the bowl, and they watched as, every so often, some of the Nephilim Grace would rise up, coiling up into the air, before abruptly diving down toward the chains, wrapping itself around them and simply fusing into them, making the chains glow a brighter golden color with every little bit of Grace that they consumed. Adam arched an eyebrow, mildly impressed, while Michael's lips twitched ever so slightly in relief.

"It looks like it's working," the archangel offered hopefully, looking back down at the sword in their hands. After a few seconds, he suddenly turned it over again, raising one hand to the blade, and Adam watched, intrigued, as he pinched the blade with two fingers, and tightened his grip on the handle. "Luci," Michael began slowly, "you know what the Cage is made of? How it was formed?" He looked up at the Devil, and Lucifer seemed to visibly pause, staring at him with a hint of confusion flickering through his eyes as he frowned.

"Wasn't exactly there when Daddy-o made the Cage, big bro."

Michael made a face, and Adam arched an eyebrow. "Whatever it's made of, itself, wouldn't have been enough to…" The demon trailed off suddenly, staring down at the sword as it finally dawned on him, and Michael immediately looked back down, eyes widening faintly at the realization. He ran a hand over the handle of the sword, pinching the blade a little tighter now. Looking even more bewildered, Lucifer shouldered himself away from the table, moving closer.

"What is it?" The Devil pressed, narrowing his eyes down at the sword, then looking back up at them, eyebrows raised slightly in confusion. Michael frowned, lowering the sword a little bit.

"Well, we think that the sword is somehow connected to the Cage-" Michael paused, sighed, and breathed out sharply through his nose. _It's so much easier just to show you everything, _the archangel told Adam silently, causing the demon to snort, albeit internally, as he shook his head a little in agreement. Offering Michael an unspoken 'good luck', the demon retreated a little bit more, yawning slightly as he brought himself back to the darkness, letting himself fade toward the back of their mind. The archangel could deal with explaining everything to Lucifer for now - to be honest, Adam was getting too tired hold the little bit of control that he had taken, even if he had retreated for the most part.

Michael paused in talking to Lucifer to tell him, _get some rest. You've done enough, we'll be fine, _the archangel assured him, and Adam smiled a little to himself, letting the darkness around him fade away. Kind of sick of the park at this point, he let Lilith's Chamber materialize instead, grinning a little as the soft, melodic voices reached his ears, the three archangels harmonizing in Enochian. It was a pretty good lullaby, Adam mused tiredly as he sat down, crossing his legs. As long as Michael was sure - _I am _\- then the demon would allow himself a little bit of rest.

_Wake me if you need me._

_Always, _Michael murmured. Adam leaned back, listening for only a few seconds as the archangel continued to explain the situation - and their realization - to Lucifer, before finally letting their voices fade into the background in favor of drifting off to the sound of the archangels singing along. He put the memory on loop, watching the three for a moment, before letting himself sink back against the wall, leaning his head back, and letting his eyes drift shut. He was back with Michael, they had a plan, they were fixing the Cage up - everything was alright. For now, at least. Adam knew better than to get his hopes up too high, knowing that their luck could change _very _easily, but he was still rather hopeful, regardless. Things were looking up a bit. They had a fighting chance. It wasn't going to be easy, and the demon didn't expect it to be, but they could do this. Oh, they were going to destroy that motherfucker.

Adam's lips tugged into a smile at the thought as he began to drift off, lulled by the singing, and content with the idea of putting Chuck away for good so that they could all begin anew again.


	71. Author's Note (Not Chapter)

Hey, guys!

So things have been getting pretty busy recently- I haven't had as much time to write, but I'm trying to get through the story. Truth is, I've lost a lot of inspiration with how hectic everything's been getting, and writer's block is kicking my ass- but, don't worry! I'm not gonna stop writing. I've got everything planned out from now 'til the end of the story, my only problem is getting it written in time for the schedule I've been trying to keep up with. Since I don't have as much time to write (or inspiration), it's been harder to post as regularly as I've been able to in the past - which, in turn, is sort of making me panic about the whole posting/schedule thing, which is making it even harder to write - so here's the deal-

I'm gonna stop updating for a little while- just so that I can get everything written out before I do start posting again. That way you don't get half-assed, last-moment chapters that I rushed through in a panic. I just need everything to calm down a little bit, and working myself up over being able to post regularly is a little nerve-wracking for me- I love the story, and I love all of you, and I'm so glad you've enjoyed reading it- but I just need a little time to get everything together and settled and back to a steady rhythm again before it spirals out of control XD

Anywho, I hope you guys understand- but I'm sure you will, you all have been very understanding thus far. This way, I can write calmly without panicking about getting chapters done by a certain time- then, once everything's written, all that's left is to post it. I probably shouldn't have started posting before I finished it anyway, but at the same time I'm kind of glad I did XDD Anyways, not that much left to go, we're almost at the end. Now I just gotta get to it XD

Thank you, all of you, for reading. I hope you like what I have planned next- even if it takes me a little bit to get there. I love you guys!


	72. Chapter 72

**_A/N:_** _GUESS WHO'S BAAAACK~!_

_Yep! Halo and Horns are back in business~ _

_So here's the deal. I'm **slowly** getting back into SPN again - slowly but surely. But, I won't be updating on a schedule like before. From now on - and this goes for all of my ongoing stories - I'm simply going to be posting what I write when I write it. I've decided that's probably the easiest way for me - I find it easier to post my stuff right away instead of piling it up and posting it together/on a schedule. I'm almost done with the chapter after this one, and I'll be posting that when it's finished too. So, as of this moment, I'm posting chapters as soon as I finish them. Whenever this is, of course, is... well, it's just whenever writer's block and inspiration lets me XD_

_I wanna thank everyone who's been waiting patiently for me to continue the story. I appreciate your patience and loyalty._

_Enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

"-and that's why I'm pretty sure that this is part of the Cage, or at least made the same way. Probably Father's way of keeping me out of commission," Michael finished his explanation, now sitting back in a chair with the sword in his lap and his knees bouncing slightly. Not quite anxious, more or less just restless, wanting to get out there and _do _something - but, Adam was resting, and he didn't want to disturb the demon, so he just had to sit tight for now until they were ready to go to the Empty. He fixed his eyes on the chains, the Nephilim Grace still working to infuse itself into them, only halfway finished. It was taking a long time, but the archangel couldn't complain. It could take as long as it wanted, as long as, in the end, they were ready to put Chuck away. He took a deep breath, twisting his mouth sharply, and looked back over at his younger brother, eyebrows furrowing.

Lucifer looked more contemplative than anything, but his eyes flickered with a barely-restrained anger that - to be honest - Michael hadn't seen from him in quite some time. It was somewhat protective, though that didn't surprise him at this point. Lucifer had changed quite a bit, becoming more and more of the angel he used to be - the angel he should have been - and he was beginning to feel it, too. And while a part of the archangel was amazed, he still wasn't particularly shocked by it. He smiled slightly at his younger brother, hoping to reassure him. The Devil just sighed, mouth twisting slightly, and leaned back against the table with a shrug. "Well, it didn't work," Lucifer added, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "You're back, and we've got this." He fell silent for a few seconds, as Michael just nodded along in agreement with a small smile on his face now, his eyes focused on the Nephilim Grace and the chains. After a while, though, the Devil spoke up again, "I do have a question, though," he began slowly, "why Zachariah?"

Out of everything, that's what Lucifer took from that… Michael shook his head a little, honestly somewhat amused. "I don't know," he replied honestly, unable to help but think back to the Cage. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, and frowned. "I really don't know. I guess- because of everything in Heaven." The archangel narrowed his eyes, recalling how easy it was for Zachariah to manipulate him, how he could turn Michael against Lucifer with just a few words, how all he had to do was imply that it was God's will, or that God would be proud, that God would want it, for him to get Michael to do whatever he wanted. Michael had been blind then - now, he was realizing that his brother was just as bad as Chuck was. The archangel sank back a little in his seat, giving his brother a small smile and a shrug. "But it doesn't matter," Michael added quickly, rolling his shoulders back a little and looking back up at his younger brother, who just offered a quiet hum of acknowledgement and looked away again.

"I guess not." Lucifer fixed his gaze on the chains, falling silent, and Michael frowned, watching him for a moment. He thought back to something Adam had thought before - something was wrong with the Devil, but the demon couldn't figure it out. And with everything going on, he hadn't really had much of a chance to ask. At least, he couldn't seem to get Lucifer alone in order to do so. But they were alone now, and Michael figured now was as good a time as any to maybe get his younger brother to open up to him. He couldn't really remember the last time he and Lucifer had had a genuine heart-to-heart, but- he _did _know that if something was wrong with his brother, he wanted to know about it. Sure, it could just be everything with Chuck, but for some reason, Michael didn't really think that was the case. Something else was… off.

And this time, Michael was determined to get some answers.

"So…" The archangel began slowly, locking his eyes on his brother, and Lucifer paused, flicking his gaze back over to Michael's. "Can't help but notice, you're just… awful quiet, Luci." Michael's expression softened slightly, eyes dancing with concern as he shifted and leaned forward in his chair, crossing his arms over his lap. Lucifer seemed to visibly pause at that, biting down on his lower lip. His shoulders tensed, arms twitching, as he seemed to shove his hands a little deeper into his pockets. Michael's frown deepened, watching for a moment, before slowly bringing his eyes back to his brother's face. Yeah, something was wrong - Lucifer was hiding his hands. Now, if there was one thing he knew about his brother, it was that the Devil never hid his hands in his pockets. And he also knew that he shook - a lot - when he got stressed. That was the only reason Michael could think of as to why he'd be hiding them. "Are you okay?"

He watched Lucifer's chest stop moving, as if the Devil was holding his breath. His little brother stayed like that for a moment, his eyes rooted to Michael's as if he couldn't quite bring himself to look away, or as if maybe he thought that looking away would make him seem even more not-okay than he already did. Whatever the reason, his hesitance was more or less Michael's focus, anyway, watching as he opened and closed his mouth, seemingly struggling to spit out a response - or to come up with one in the first place. After all, his brother didn't lie, did he? The archangel was curious as to how he was going to dodge this one, to be completely honest. Michael leaned back, ever so silent, as Lucifer finally hissed out a sigh through his teeth and leaned back a little bit more, not moving his hands from his pockets. "I'm as okay as I can be," the Devil finally replied, slowly, "given the circumstances."

"Well, no, I know that," Michael assured him immediately, frowning. He didn't expect his brother to be okay; sure, Lucifer was right, he was getting what he wanted by proving that Chuck was really the villain all along, but the archangel could see, clearly, there was something else bothering him. Something else was _wrong _with him - and he didn't seem as happy with the situation as anyone else would have expected. Though, to be honest, Michael didn't. Not really. He knew his brother enough to know that even if Lucifer might have been triumphant at first, seeing the aftermath of their Father's mistakes and genuinely _realizing _he had been right… it must be so, so _hard _on the Devil. Hell, it was hard on Gabriel, for crying out loud. Michael sighed, furrowing his eyebrows faintly. "I don't expect you to be _okay_, Luci- even slightly. It's alright if you're not." Lucifer didn't respond, just flicked his gaze away. "You can talk to me."

"Yyyeah," Lucifer stretched the beginning of the word out slightly as he suddenly pushed himself to stand. Michael watched him, blinking, flinching a little on instinct but more or less holding his ground for the most part. "I don't think I'm gonna do that. I'm gonna go see how Auntie Amara and Jack are doing with Cassie. Keep an eye on that, would you?" The Devil looked toward the bowl for a moment, and Michael only followed his gaze for a second before Lucifer had turned around to leave, hardly giving the archangel any time to react. For a moment, Michael sat back, knowing that his reaction, prior to this moment, would have been to just… let him go.

But he'd let him go before, and look where that had gotten them.

It wasn't fair to Lucifer. It wasn't fair to _him. _He wasn't going to lose his little brother over Chuck, not again. He knew that the Devil wasn't okay, and he knew that Lucifer wouldn't tell him right now, he seemed to feel like he _couldn't_, but on a deeper level than Michael had ever known. There was definitely something a little stronger here now, brewing below the surface, something was wrong in a way that hadn't been before. Hell, it had been wrong ever since the day Lucifer and Castiel had gone to the Empty together. That's when his brother's entire demeanor had changed, becoming more withdrawn on himself, and more and more intent with finishing the Cage and locking their Father up for good. Michael's expression shifted, taking note of exactly _when _his brother's behavior had changed. He knew one thing; he wasn't letting Lucifer just walk away again, not this time. He wasn't going to make the mistake of turning his back on his brother, by letting Lucifer turn his back on him. The archangel took a deep breath, standing up.

"No," the word was careful, not hostile, but not submissive, passive. He turned his head, putting the sword down on the table, while Lucifer paused where he stood without quite turning to face him again. The surprise radiating off of his brother, pulsing through the room, was almost palpable. It took most of Michael's newfound confidence not to shrink in on himself again, every instinct screaming to just let his brother walk away, because to be honest, he wasn't really sure if this was going to spark up another fight or if it was going to help them. Regardless, he pushed forward, pressing gently but determinedly, "Lucifer, I'm tired of just brushing things off with you. That's what I did in Heaven, and look where it got us. I just want to help."

"I know, Michael…" Lucifer sighed, and it sounded like it had been ripped from his throat forcefully, as if he was having some trouble getting the sound out, but as if there was no other choice. The Devil didn't turn back to him, simply kind of hunched over on himself, his hands burrowing deeper into his pockets, it looked like, as his arms tensed up further. "This isn't Heaven. It's not the same. Nothing's the same," he added, almost harshly, though his anger didn't seem to be directed toward Michael. The archangel just furrowed his eyebrows faintly, listening on in silence. "But it's not… like that. You just… you just can't help with this."

"How do you know?" Michael challenged, albeit gently, "you're not giving me a chance now."

Silence followed his words, aside from another strangled sigh from Lucifer, as his little brother finally turned to him again. He sank his weight sideways against the table, blue eyes flickering with exhaustion; Michael studied that particular expression for a moment, not knowing how long it would last until Lucifer realized his mask had fallen. Or maybe Lucifer had intentionally let it down - regardless, he had to drink it all in while he could, take note, before the Devil had the chance to rip it away again. He just looked so tired - Michael didn't think that expression could escape his memory, even if he tried to forget it. He'd never seen him look like that, not ever.

"Michael, I'm not…" He watched Lucifer's expression shift, his mouth open and close.

He watched a thousand lies rise to his tongue, watched them choke and suffocate him in the span of a few short seconds. Watched them fizzle out, because of _course _they did, it was Lucifer and even now, maybe even especially now, Lucifer didn't - wouldn't - couldn't - lie. Regardless, it didn't make watching him struggle any easier. After all, he'd been in that position. He knew exactly what it felt like, having a vague sense of what you wanted to say, but not being able to. Holding yourself back, forcing the words right back down your own throat and choking on them, choking on your hesitance and your fear and your uncertainty. It was suffocating, and it hurt. And he was seeing his years worth of pain reflected on his younger brother's face now. Really seeing it, for the first ever time, and realizing in the same instance that it _wasn't _the _first time_.

They were created, Michael marveled, before all of _time _itself. Before _time _had even been a thought in their heads. So how long- _how long_\- had Lucifer forced himself shut like this? How long had he choked on his words, so painfully honest and yet still burdened with so much that he would never be able to say? It was inconceivable. It was mortifying. It was _sickening_.

Nausea rolled in the pit of his stomach, clouding his senses for those good few seconds. He almost let himself give into the sensations, but he didn't - because he still had his little brother standing in front of him, his little brother who was hurting in ways Michael couldn't imagine - and simultaneously, ways that he was all too familiar with - and he would be damned, again, if he was going to let Lucifer continue slipping further away from him. The walls were up. Lucifer wasn't going to go an inch further. So it was up to Michael to slam the wrecking ball forward, and it was up to Michael to rip the wall apart brick by brick until there was nothing left between them. He wasn't going to let this continue anymore; it was time to change.

Things needed to change. For the better, this time. Not for the worst.

"Stop."

He held his hands up, palms facing forward, and watched Lucifer's breathing cease. His slightly panicked expression, torn between honesty and uncertainty, rapidly diminished into confusion. Which was - somewhat - relieving, and Michael took the chance to allow himself to breathe in, deep and steady. He needed to figure out how to approach this in a way that wouldn't make Lucifer close in on himself again. He needed to be gentle - but not enough to allow him to slip away. He couldn't just let his brother tell him he was fine and watch him become closed off again - he couldn't let that happen, not this time, it was time to start putting his foot down. In the nicest way possible. The archangel ran his tongue over his lips, and exhaled.

And, at last, he stepped forward and reached out for Lucifer's shoulder. His hand hovered, but didn't recoil, even as Lucifer pulled away from him. The Devil's gaze flashed toward his hand, and then back up to his face, eyes narrowing faintly. Michael couldn't quite read the expression, a mixture of confusion and a little bit of distrust, and the archangel pushed down the hurt that curled in his chest, resisting the urge to pull back, and met his brother's gaze steadily.

"Luci," Michael murmured, soft, quiet, pleading. Lucifer's expression shifted, cracking, twisting, and he watched his younger brother hesitate under his gentle stare, watched his stony expression crumble, if only briefly. It wasn't that Michael didn't understand his hesitance - because he did, he really, truly did, and he knew Lucifer deserved to be hesitant, he deserved to be _wary_ and unsure, after all he had been through. But he wanted him to know that he didn't have anything to fear around Michael anymore. He wanted Lucifer to know, and understand, that Michael was _there_. He was there, and he wanted to be the brother he should have been.

_People push us away when they need us the most, _Sam's words rang in his ears. _Please stop pushing me away, Luci._

Finally, Lucifer seemed to soften, and Michael reached for his shoulder again. This time, his brother let him - with a bit of a grimace - clasp his hand over his shoulder. Michael closed his eyes for a moment, a rush of relief pounding against his chest. Good, it was a start. It was a step forward. But they needed more, and Michael was willing to take the leap - and now, a little more hopeful that, if he did, Lucifer would jump after him. With that in mind, he slowly began to relax, blinking his eyes open and glancing over at his younger brother. He had an idea… the archangel could only hope it didn't backfire, that it didn't do more harm than good.

He paused, unfurling his wings. They felt a little lighter - his eyebrows twitched, glancing back for a second - but he didn't get the chance to see them before Lucifer was suddenly moving back, wary once again. Michael raised his hand, turning back to him, allowing his brother to move away from him to show him he meant absolutely no harm. "It's- It's okay, Lucifer."

Lucifer just stared past him for a moment, looking visibly shocked, and Michael's worry steadily dissolved into confusion as he realized his brother's reaction had nothing to do with him, but his wings. The archangel looked back again, finally twisting slightly to get a good look, and he couldn't keep back a sharp gasp in time. Spread out wide, his wings bristled, feathers mixed with blue and black spread out and fluttering. They looked nothing like they had before - rather, to be honest, they looked like an angel's Grace and a demon's soul woven together, forming two large, glorious wings. Michael blinked, fluttering them slightly; they moved with him fluidly, as if they had always done so, and he heard a soft hiss from his brother as Lucifer inhaled sharply.

"_Whoa_."

Michael paused, glancing over. He couldn't help but smile at the wonder on his brother's face, but his attention was redirected from his wings almost immediately, back to the reason he had pulled them out in the first place. "Yeah, whoa-" He made a mental note to show Adam later, he knew the demon had never been a fan of flying, but he had to know what he'd _think _of them, "-what do you say we take them for a test run?" He offered, holding his hand out to his brother yet again, and Lucifer's gaze flicked back to him immediately. "I wanna take you somewhere."

"Gee, Micha," his brother muttered, eyes narrowing faintly, "at least buy me dinner first."

Michael rolled his eyes, his time with Adam, unfortunately, allowing him the _pleasure _of knowing exactly what his brother meant by that. Still, he couldn't help a small, amused smile. He knew the joke was just Lucifer's way of trying to change the subject - or maybe to pretend this wasn't _happening_, but it was, and Michael, again, wasn't going to let him slip by as easily as before. A part of him hoped they could get through this before Adam woke up, to be honest. So he kept his hand extended to Lucifer, holding his gaze, a silent offering, and hoped he'd take it.

Lucifer's eyes flicked back and forth between his, blue eyes blazing with uncertainty, suspicion. But, eventually, at last, he moved forward slightly. His gaze darted to Michael's hand when the archangel reached out further, relief flickering across the oldest one's face as he clasped his hand down onto his younger brother's shoulder again. It meant Lucifer was trusting him again, for the first time in a long time, and Michael tightened his grip slightly. He wouldn't give Lucifer a reason to regret it, not this time. Confidence strengthened, the archangel stretched his wings out a little more, relishing in the way they spread so easily, no longer stiff, or singed, or hurt. He could feel the power coursing through his veins again, the strength he hadn't felt in so long, and he found himself marveling over it for a good few seconds as he searched for the location he wanted to bring them to, and cracking a relieved grin when he found it. Lucifer shifted, tense.

… there really was so much _tension _in his shoulders.

Michael's grin wavered, eyes blinking open as his focus shifted, rapidly readjusting his priorities. He couldn't believe how stiff Lucifer was. The tremors that the archangel had _assumed _had only taken his hands were, indeed, wracking his entire body, just in small, barely-noticeable bursts. Barely-noticeable, but now Michael could feel the shivers underneath his hand. The way Lucifer's muscles rippled, tensed, locked, recoiled and trembled again under his touch. His mouth twisted, shifting into a frown now, as he flicked his eyes over his younger brother's face. The tension seemed to come from how taut his younger brother was, the overly-tense posture he had taken. Meant to look relaxed outwardly, but built carefully only to hide the shaking of his muscles, the product of the anxiety that seemed to be swallowing him whole from the inside out.

Another rush of nausea curled in his gut, and he tightened his grip on Lucifer's shoulder somewhat unconsciously. In response, his brother twitched and twisted, but made no real effort to break away from the grasp yet. Just stood and stared, blue eyes taking in his expression with an unexplainable sense of wariness, a distrust that didn't seem like it was even directed at Michael anymore. No, it seemed more or less reserved for himself. Michael had to physically restrain himself from nodding at the thought, letting his eyes slip shut with a soft, pained sigh.

Taking a deep breath again, the archangel finally brought up the nerve, and the courage, to bring himself closer to his brother, tightening his grip slightly. Lucifer's muscles rippled under the touch, seeming about two seconds away from pulling back again, but Michael didn't give him a chance. He was tired of the dance, the one-step-forward, two-steps-back that was their relationship. And he was going to put an end to it, finally, right then and right there.

He brought the wings up, ruffled feathers spreading out, the easiness of the movements almost bringing a smile to his face - but not quite. Still, he brought them down again, flapping them with a gentle, familiar _whoosh_. Again, it was so… easy, in comparison to how hard it had been to fly recently. He knew they had arrived where he wanted when he felt wind against his skin, blowing his hair back - but even more so, because the moment he felt the breeze, he also felt Lucifer suddenly jolt, jerk and break away from him, recoiling as if he'd been shoved. Michael blinked his eyes open, mouth twisting sharply as he looked up at his younger brother, flickering blue eyes taking in his expression hesitantly. Lucifer looked stunned, gaze flicking around rapidly.

Stull Cemetery.

"What-" The word came out in a huff, breathless in his brother's attempt to spit it out. Michael didn't move his gaze from Lucifer's. Partially because he didn't want to take the look around himself. He was already tense enough just _knowing _where they were - looking around, confirming it, would make it even worse, and he had to keep himself relaxed for the most part now for Lucifer's sake. The Devil's expression shifted, a myriad of emotions flickering across his face, and his mouth twisted into a loose scowl. "Oh, man. Oh- _man_\- come on," he expressed his displeasure with little hesitation, bringing a sharp glare in Michael's direction, and the archangel flinched slightly - more so out of instinct than anything. Still, he steeled himself again rather quickly, his resolve unwavering for the first time in a long time. He had known Lucifer wouldn't like this, and he didn't really like it too much himself, but he knew it was more than necessary. "Why'd you bring me here, Michael?" The words were sharp, accusing, distrusting.

Michael kept himself from flinching again by flicking his gaze away, cautious eyes finally leaving his brother in order to take a reluctant look around. He couldn't keep his breath from catching in his throat in time - couldn't stop the way his shoulders tensed, reeled back, feeling every muscle in his body pull taut. But he didn't fight it - it was a natural reaction, one he'd expect in any case. He was just glad Adam was asleep, recalling how the demon had spiraled straight into a panic attack upon realizing exactly where they were when they had left Hell for the first time in years. It was hard to be here, but the archangel wouldn't expect any less from any of them. But he was hoping, this time, it could be a place of healing instead, to start righting his wrongs and fix his mistakes. The archangel closed his eyes and ran his tongue over his lips, breathing out.

"You remember," he began, hesitantly, yet not without the conviction, the determination that had consumed him. They were doing this. "You remember when you asked me what the point was? Father making us fight- making us kill each other, for the sake of his tests…"

"Of course I- I _remember_, Michael," Lucifer's words were clipped, and while they lacked the distrust he had displayed prior, his voice was still strained. Michael blinked his eyes open to look over at him again, watching his brother shift and stutter where he stood, either wanting to get away or come closer - or both - but not quite being able to make his feet move. Michael watched him in silence, watched as his little brother pulled himself together again.

The tensing of his jaw was all he needed to see to know that the younger archangel had succeeded, before he spoke. "It's kind of hard to forget. I still don't get why you brought me here, though. It's over, isn't it?"

"Is it?" Michael questioned back immediately, and Lucifer's entire body tensed, shifted, moving backwards without quite stepping away. The archangel furrowed his eyebrows, turning a little to face Lucifer again, but he didn't approach for fear of putting Lucifer more on edge. "I know with- with everything, we haven't had the chance to talk. Y'know, really _talk_. I'm sorry, I… I should _be_ there, I know- and I _want _to. I've wanted to since-" He stopped for a moment, sucking in air he didn't really need, more or less just aching for a break so that he could think his words over more carefully. Lucifer stared at him in silence, the tension in his shoulders winding down. "But I don't know how to…" The archangel lifted a hand, gesturing between them. "I don't know how to talk to you, Lucifer. I don't know if you even want to talk. I don't know if you need to. If _we _need to. I don't know if it'll make things better or worse, or if we can even get _past _this-"

"We _are_ past it," Lucifer interrupted, and Michael couldn't help but tremble a little, just for a second, visible and _deep_, because his brother's voice was suddenly quiet, soft and breathless and broken, laced with exhaustion and pain. But also fury - so much fury that Michael, once again, almost flinched. This time, though, he managed to keep himself from doing so, expressing his surprise with little more than a blink of his eyes as Lucifer continued on. "That's the whole point! I'm- Michael, we're _fine_. I don't care about-" His gaze flickered, leaving Michael and roaming around instead. The archangel managed a halfhearted glance around the cemetery, himself, before ultimately choosing to focus on Lucifer once again. "-all of that."

Michael hesitated, staring at him for a moment. He couldn't help but question whether or not he should believe that - on one hand, Lucifer didn't _lie. _But on the other hand, if it was true, then why… why did it still feel like it _did_ matter? Like that was why Lucifer wasn't talking to him now, wouldn't tell him what was going on. He frowned, biting down on his lip for a moment. His arms twitched, aching to wrap around himself again, to shield himself once more. But he simply stood still and just _watched_, as Lucifer hunched over slightly, tense shoulders rocking forward as he dug his hands into his pockets and stared out at the graveyard through narrowed eyes.

"But something's still wrong," Michael blurted out before he could stop himself, watched as Lucifer's gaze flicked toward him again. The archangel merely blinked again, as his brother's eyes met his, taking in a breath and continuing, "and I don't know what it is, Luci, but I _know_. You're too quiet, too- too withdrawn, and you've been like that for a while now. And it wasn't like that before. It wasn't like that until- until-" He stumbled a little over his words, a sudden shift in Lucifer's expression catching him off guard, like his brother knew what he was going to say. "Until the Empty…" He trailed off, and stared, struggling to click the pieces together.

Lucifer's expression crumbled, just briefly, lapsing into an expression of frustration and guilt before it froze over again, and his eyes dropped from Michael's, rooted to the ground instead.

… okay, that was _it._

Michael huffed out a sigh, not of irritation, but of pain. It hurt him far too much just to see his brother hurting like this, so hesitant and… confused. The tremors in his hands had spread up to his arms, and this time it was visible, and Michael watched his brother shake as he tried to pull himself together, wondering exactly how many signs he had just brushed aside; how many worries he had stifled because of his own fear of approaching Lucifer himself. But he wasn't having any more of that - it was time to man up, grow a pair, as Adam would say. So the archangel twisted his mouth, set his jaw, and took several steps forward - literally and figuratively - as he approached his brother. Lucifer didn't look up, but he seemed aware of Michael's approach, if the tensing of his already-trembling shoulders was any indication.

Stifling the anxiety brewing in his chest, Michael squared his shoulders and reached out for his brother. Lucifer recoiled, if only for a second, finally snapping his gaze up to Michael's face. The archangel kept his hand hovering, searching his gaze cautiously. Lucifer's mouth opened slightly, though he didn't say anything - and he also didn't continue to retreat. So, after only a second of hesitation, Michael steeled himself once again and took one last step forward, crossing the distance between them completely. His hand clasped down over Lucifer's shoulder once again, chest aching as he felt every little tremor that wracked his younger brother's body. But he shook his head, pushing it aside for now, as he tugged the Devil forward and wrapped his arms around him for the first time in far too long, clasping one hand over the back of his little brother's head and gripping the back of his shirt with the other, embracing him gently but firmly.

Lucifer breathed in sharply; Michael felt his chest stop moving as he held his breath, clearly shocked by the sudden contact. The archangel swallowed and shut his eyes, fully prepared to be pushed away - but his brother only stood there, completely rigid and yet trembling, whether too stunned to reject the hug or simply not wanting to, Michael had absolutely no idea; but he was grateful for it all the same, clamping his mouth shut tight as his jaw trembled, swallowing.

"I'm _sorry_," the archangel breathed, desperate to spit out the all-too familiar words, and get out everything he needed to say before Lucifer had the chance to push him away again, literally or otherwise. He swallowed again, sucking in a breath to continue, "I'm sorry, Luci, for everything. For not being there- for not knowing what's going on- for- for why you think you can't _talk _to me about it, and not being able to tell you sooner that you could. I-" He paused, listening painfully as his brother inhaled. It was a shaky sound, one that obviously came with a bit of a struggle, and he knew it was taking everything his brother had not to break down right then and there. Michael tightened his grip in response, keeping his eyes shut. "I know this is hard, Lucifer. I know it hurts- I can't- I can't imagine how much it's hurting _you_. You tried to tell everyone, and nobody listened. And it wasn't fair- it's still not. You went through so much pain for so long, and- and nobody was there. Nobody cared. Nobody believed. So I- I get it- I get it. I wasn't there. Nobody was. And now it's all coming undone- because of him- and it's so much. I can't stand it- so I can't imagine- I can't even _begin _to imagine how hard it is for you, Lucifer, I…"

"Michael…" Lucifer's voice shook almost as hard as he was, now; Michael could feel him trembling in his arms, and he fought against the urge to pull him closer, falling silent and simply listening to whatever his brother was going to say. But, Lucifer didn't continue; rather, after a few seconds of complete silence, he suddenly shifted - Michael moved back, ready to release him, only to freeze when he felt the Devil's arms wrap around him, careful and reluctant. But once he had done so, he gripped the back of Michael's shirt and simply seemed to refuse to let go; Michael almost melted in relief when he felt Lucifer's face press into his shoulder.

Brick by brick, the walls began to crumble, and Michael felt every second of it.

"Please talk to me," the archangel breathed, resting his head sideways against Lucifer's. A soft, shuddering sigh escaped his brother; he felt the shiver run through the younger archangel, rubbing the Devil's back gently as he continued softly, "I want to be here for you, Luci, but you have to let me. You have to talk to me. You have to tell me what's wrong, and how bad it is, and how much it hurts and how much it _sucks _because- because I- I know it sucks, brother. I know it hurts. But if you don't talk to me about it, I can't…" He trailed off for a moment. He couldn't make it better, he couldn't help. But he didn't even know if he was capable of doing that at all, anyway. But he knew what he _was_ capable of, so he went with that. "I can't _listen_, Luci. I can't be there. And I…"

_I want to be there._ No, that… that didn't sound quite right.

"... I need to be there, Lucifer." Michael finally blinked his eyes open, just as Lucifer suddenly seemed to tense once again in his arms. Again, he half-expected his brother to pull away. But, again, Lucifer surprised him by instead tightening his grip, practically digging his fingers into Michael's back as he exhaled and continued softly, "so- so please stop leaving me out of this."

A moment of silence passed between them. Lucifer's breathing had gone heavy, and stifled, and his grip on Michael had tightened to such an extent that the archangel almost feared he was going to break a rib or something - which he really hoped Adam wouldn't be pissed about when he woke up, but with any luck, he'd be able to heal them before the demon did. But, luckily, before it could reach that point, Lucifer loosened his grip and finally pulled away from him, albeit slowly. Michael hesitated, but he did pull away, as well, looking up at his brother carefully. The Devil didn't meet his gaze immediately; rather, the way his eyes danced around him made it feel like Lucifer was trying to look at anything except him. In those few seconds, Michael's heart sank, and he swallowed hard, ready for the walls to come back up again.

But Lucifer surprised him with a shake of his head, a sharp inhale, and a hesitant, _vulnerable _glance in his direction. And Michael genuinely thought it might be okay. Until Lucifer opened his mouth. "Michael- Michael, I'm sorry-"

"Luci, no-" Michael shook his head a little. "No, it's okay-"

"No it's _not_-" Lucifer cut him off with such fierceness, such fury, that Michael almost backed off despite himself. But he stood still, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, as he watched Lucifer screw his eyes shut and recoil from him. His hands rose, shaking so hard that Michael wanted to reach out and grab them, pull his brother into another hug until he stopped trembling. But he stayed where he was, flicking his gaze rapidly from Lucifer's hands to his face, until his brother abruptly reached up to run both hands through his hair. They didn't come back down, gripping the blonde locks tightly as he held both sides of his head, his breathing becoming more and more stifled with each second; finally, Michael managed a step forward, mouth opening, but he didn't get a chance to say anything before Lucifer was speaking again. "It's not okay- _I'm _not-"

Michael blinked, rapidly, and recoiled again, only because Lucifer was finally opening up to him, and he didn't want to say or do anything that would ruin that. So he fell silent, and just listened.

"I can't do this." Lucifer breathed out sharply, seeming to squeeze his eyes shut a little tighter. He was shaking even harder now, and Michael had to restrain himself from pulling him into a hug, nodding slightly for him to continue even though Lucifer couldn't see him. "Michael, I can't- I've been trying so hard to- to just- pretend it wasn't _happening _but oh- oh dad it's happening this is really happening and I don't- I don't want to but I can't- I can't stop it- I don't _want _to stop it but I-" Michael blinked, rapidly realizing his brother was quickly spiraling into… _panic_.

He didn't think he'd ever seen Lucifer panic. Not like this.

Torn between concern and relief that Lucifer was actually _talking _to him, Michael shifted back and forth where he stood for a good few seconds before finally walking forward again, reaching out to touch Lucifer's shoulder tentatively. The Devil didn't react to the touch with anything more than a sharp jerk and shake of his head, not shrugging him off but not leaning into the contact. "Slow down…" The archangel tried to soothe, staring at him worriedly. "What's happening?"

Lucifer seemed to visibly falter, Michael's soothing voice and careful words seeming to have the opposite effect on him than the archangel had planned. Michael frowned, staring at him in silence for a few seconds, simply waiting for him to continue; he wasn't going to push too hard yet, he could see how much of a toll this was taking on his brother, so he resigned himself to waiting - something he was fairly good at, to be completely honest - and simply stood there and watched the Devil attempt to regulate his breathing, shaking hands still buried into his hair. When he opened his eyes, Michael was surprised - and yet not - to see tears in them.

"I can't do it." He sounded so miserable, it made Michael's eyes sting a little, himself. "I didn't want you to know- I didn't want you to freak out and worry but- Micha- I-"

"Hey- _hey_," Michael broke in without quite meaning to, wincing a little almost immediately after he cut his brother off. Taking a deep breath to steel himself, he reached out with his other hand, wrapping his fingers around Lucifer's wrist. "You can tell me anything, Luci. It's okay."

Lucifer didn't reply immediately, but he let Michael tug his hand down, away from his hair; let the archangel carefully maneuver the other one down, as well, until Michael was holding both of his hands, which were still trembling harder than the archangel had ever seen before. His little brother shifted, his expression twisting in spasms of pain and terror, before it finally crumbled back into that heartbreaking, ever-present exhaustion that seemed to be weighing the Devil down all the time. "I'm sorry… no, just- _let me_," he cut Michael's quiet, mumbled reassurances short, and the archangel nodded quickly to his brother, eyes softening. "I'm sorry. Not for all of that- I mean- I am, I _am _sorry for all of that, but it doesn't matter anymore. Nothing does, really-" A slightly hysterical laugh broke through his lips, sending his ramblings to a halt.

Michael's eyebrows furrowed lightly in concern; he dropped one of Lucifer's hands to grab his shoulder instead, offering a soft squeeze to assure his brother that he was still listening.

Lucifer breathed in, and out again, closing his eyes once more. It didn't take him as long to speak again, though, despite his reluctance. "You're right, okay, I- I have been more withdrawn. I've just been trying to keep my distance- to stay out of your way, and keep everyone out of mine- I can't get attached again, Micha, and I can't let _you, _because I'm not going to be here when it's all over and it's already hard enough knowing what I'm leaving behind, but I can't…"

He didn't continue for a moment, so Michael spoke again, slow and hesitant, around the lump that was forming in his throat, through the freezing stone lodged in his gut. He had practically stopped breathing at this point, and while he was consciously aware of it, he couldn't bring himself to continue again just yet. "... Lucifer," he began slowly, "what are you talking about?"

"The _Empty_, Micha," Lucifer told him, his voice laced with exhaustion and defeat. "I'm talking about the Empty. I- Cas's deal, I just wanted him to be able to stick around for Jack- because- because Jack needs him, you know? The kid needs him. But he doesn't need me. Nobody needs me-" Michael felt his grip tighten on Lucifer's shoulder, his reassurances dying on his tongue before they even had the chance to surface when Lucifer continued, "you have Adam and Jack has Cas and Gabriel has porn stars and everyone's going to be okay, but I'm not- I can't be there, Michael- I can hardly be here _now_. With you. With _them_. It's so hard- it's…"

There was so much to focus on at once. Michael's head spun, struggling to grasp onto something to register, but the information had just completely sent him spiraling. He tightened his grip on Lucifer's shoulder even further, somewhat unconsciously now. "Lucifer… you…" Not knowing whether to be concerned or horrified, or both, he went somewhat… blank for a second. "You didn't- tell me you didn't…"

Lucifer shook his head slightly, not saying a word, and Michael exhaled sharply and squeezed his eyes shut, pushing past the intense pain that exploded in his chest like a bomb. "I'm sorry."

"No- no- no. Just- just give me a second…"

He felt horrible, _needing _a second at all, but Lucifer didn't say a word in protest. Simply faltered, eyes drifting shut, and Michael stood still with his hand still clasped over Lucifer's shoulder, maybe a little too tightly, as if he was afraid his brother was going to be wrenched away from him at any second. And, who knew? Maybe he would. He hadn't even given much thought to Castiel's deal - something he felt increasingly guilty about - but his focus had, more or less, been shifted to Adam and his Father. Of course it popped up every now and again, but even Dean hadn't wanted to think about it, and Castiel didn't offer anymore information on the subject than necessary, so it had somewhat retreated to the back of Michael's mind for the time being. But it wasn't hard to piece together exactly what Lucifer had done here, giving himself in their younger brother's place… it was such a Lucifer thing to do, and yet _not_, but somehow, a little bit of pride managed to sprinkle its way in with the pain, and a hollow smile curled at his lips.

He really was so good. Michael could _kill _himself for not seeing it sooner.

But, he shook his head, and forced himself to focus. The archangel finally breathed in, Lucifer's words hitting him hard yet again. He felt his eyes sting, a lump rising in his throat, trying to choke him out of his misery. And for a moment, he almost let it swallow him whole - knowing he had to feel whatever he was feeling, that he couldn't just push it down, and push it down, like his brother did - and like Adam did, sometimes, or at least like he used to do. Michael ran his tongue over his lips, breathing out and then in again. It was hard to figure out what was _concerning _enough to address first, but he managed to focus on what he might be able to fix. Or at least, what he might be able to help, if only slightly. "... why would you think I don't _need _you?"

"Oh, come on-" A laugh, choked and forced and shaky, broke through Lucifer's lips. Michael blinked his eyes open, knowing the sound was more of a release of tension than anything. So he just stared, watching his brother, until Lucifer opened his eyes and glanced up at him. The Devil seemed to tense, seeing how intently Michael was watching him. "You know… you…"

Michael only stared at him, softening slightly under Lucifer's confused gaze. He really thought no one needed him - hell, Michael was sure he thought nobody even _wanted _him around, and that hurt more than anything. He kicked himself again, mentally; he should have been there… but maybe it wasn't too late, at least… at least for now, and Michael was going to try his best to do right by him this time. "Of course we need you, Luci, I…" The archangel trailed off, running his tongue over his lips, trying to figure out how to say exactly what needed to be said here.

"For _what?" _Lucifer practically snapped, but this time Michael only stared back at him. He didn't flinch, he didn't even blink; he just stared, eyebrows slowly furrowing together. He related, far too greatly, to the feelings of inadequacy his brother was displaying, to let it go on now.

"Lucifer- even if we don't- even if we don't have a reason-" Michael shook his head a little, eyebrows furrowing. "Adam and I- we wouldn't be the same without you, I know for a fact. Like when we thought you were dead, Luci, that was _hard _for us. Especially for me. You were…"

For a moment, he hesitated on the word. He remembered how weak and helpless he had felt, hearing of his brother's death - how angry at Dean he had been, and how desperate for a purpose again he had felt… losing Lucifer had just been another string cut, and he remembered the lost feelings all too well. "... Luci, you were dead… I thought you were dead," the archangel breathed, dropping his gaze from his brother with a frown. "And it hurt, and it- I was so angry at everything and- and scared and desperate to make things right again, even though I couldn't-" He stopped, swallowed, and sighed. "It was torture. Worse than anything I've ever felt."

Lucifer didn't respond immediately, but his disbelieving expression smoothed out into something akin to guilt - or grief, maybe, though that hadn't been Michael's intention. Still, the Devil was listening to him, so the archangel reminded himself to just be grateful for that for the time being as he drew in a breath and continued carefully, "and Adam didn't show it very well at the time, but he was just as lost. He relied on you so much in the Cage before. You were there for him before _I _was even there for him, and he hasn't forgotten that. I know you guys have your moments, but he still cares about you. You're his family, too." At this, Lucifer's expression shifted, softened, somewhat, but his gaze didn't quite meet Michael's yet. "We _do _need you."

Lucifer breathed out sharply, still staring down. He shifted slightly where he stood, mouth twisting sharply into a frown, but his shaking had calmed considerably, much to Michael's relief. He must have gotten through to his brother, if only a little. "Micha, I just-" The Devil paused, breathing in again, and continued cautiously, "I just want to do something good for once, man. Just- I just wanna _be _something good, you know?" And Michael had to nod- because he did know, he knew a little too well. "Even if it doesn't last long- even if I have to-"

He stopped, then, seeming unable to continue. He finally moved again, raising one hand to rub over his mouth, and Michael finally loosened his grip on the Devil's shoulder. He understood. All too well, he understood that, if nothing else. Hell, he had been desperate to change after he'd heard of Lucifer's death, desperate to be something better, to make things right for him, since he couldn't make things right with him. That was what had led him to nearly getting himself and Adam killed - which had led to their first 'fight', which had led to him realizing exactly how much the demon had cared about him. But Michael had been hurting so much - blinded by grief and fury and pain, and his desperation to do something good for once, to defy his Father… the archangel sighed and looked up at his younger brother, a frown twisting at his lips.

"My son doesn't need me, Michael," Lucifer finally continued after a few seconds. "And you, and Gabe and Adam, you'll do fine without me. You _will_-" He insisted, as Michael opened his mouth to protest. "Hell, Micha, you _have_. I know it was hard, and I'm _sorry_, but you- I can't-" He just looked frustrated now, at his own inability to speak, and Michael ran his tongue over his lips and shook his head a little as he struggled to think of something to say. "I'm just- I'm not… _good_."

Michael blinked and stared at him again, somewhat incredulously this time. He couldn't be serious - here he stood, ready to give up his life for Castiel. For everyone. Here he stood, struggling to break past everything their Father had built up in front of him, every wall and barricade that Chuck had put up just to block him out. And here he was, insisting he wasn't good. Insisting he didn't matter. And, _fuck_, if Michael couldn't _relate _to it - but he was fighting to push past that, to insist, not to others, but to himself, that he _did _matter. He _would _matter. He wasn't going to be chained down by Chuck anymore, he wasn't going to be what he made him. But it seemed like Lucifer was still having a hard time grasping that… and why wouldn't he? That was his entire existence. Michael knew how hard it was to just _understand_.

"... But you have a chance to change it," the archangel managed to reply after a few seconds, and Lucifer finally glanced up at him. "Lucifer, you have a chance to- to change everything. To prove everyone else wrong- to prove _Father _wrong-" He paused for a moment, running his tongue over his lips, and took in a deep breath. "Prove _me _wrong, Luci. You always wanted to."

Lucifer's expression twisted again, pinching up in a mixture of pain, frustration and disbelief. "That's different, Michael, I- I'm just-" He shook his head. "I'm not _ready _to change."

Michael exhaled softly, suddenly pulling back and letting his hand drop from Lucifer's shoulder. He was finally starting to get somewhat exasperated - not at his brother, but, rather, at himself. Just when he thought he might be starting to get through to Lucifer, the Devil retorted with something even stronger, and left Michael speechless again, scrambling for reassurances he wasn't even fully prepared to give. He wished he knew what to say. Lucifer would know what to say. Adam would know what to say - hell, he always did… Because he just said it. No hesitation, no sugarcoating. He told you how it was with supreme confidence and he didn't regret it for a second. And that was enough to almost always knock sense into the archangel.

Maybe it'd be enough to knock some sense into Lucifer.

But Adam was asleep, tucked away in the dark corners of their mind. And as much as Michael wanted to prod him awake, he hesitated. Of course, he planned on letting Adam know everything, from beginning to end, and he was sure the demon would have a few things to say to Lucifer himself - but Michael couldn't just step back again, let Lucifer slip away, and leave his best friend to handle it for him. That wasn't how their relationship worked, and if Michael was going to step up and do this, then he had to actually _step up _and do this. He had to find a way to get through to Lucifer on his own, to break down the last barrier between them, to pull out the last brick and let the wall crumble before their eyes. If he couldn't do that… Michael took a deep breath, shifted, closed his eyes, and nodded slightly to himself. He loved his brother. But it was time to take a different approach - soft words and gentle reassurances weren't working. So, he was going to speak Lucifer's language - Adam's language - and hope he _understood_.

"Nobody changes because they're ready to change, Lucifer," the archangel spoke bluntly after a moment, not quite knowing where he was going with this, but continuing on all the same. He didn't lack the kindness he had displayed prior, though - no, there was no hostility or anger in his tone, but he did speak much more firmly. Blinking his eyes open, he spared a glance up at his younger brother. Lucifer simply stared at him, blinking rapidly in surprise. "I wasn't ready," Michael admitted, taking a deep breath. "I wasn't ready to fall- I wasn't ready to face Father again. I wasn't even ready to leave the Cage in the first place, brother. A part of me didn't even want to - _because _I was scared of it. Because I was scared of how much would- would _change _when we left, and I just wasn't ready for it." He paused, meeting Lucifer's gaze. He wasn't sure if he was getting to him, but his younger brother was simply staring at him through wide eyes, looking as if he was hanging on to every word. And so, Michael continued. "Change is _scary_. It's- It's _terrifying. _But _nobody's _ready for it, Luci. Nobody's ever just ready to have their life flip around on them like that. But if you don't- if you don't-" He hesitated, just for a moment.

"If you don't let yourself- move with it, and- and accept how you feel and _let _yourself feel it, then you're just going to be stuck, and confused, and lost and scared. And _yes_, it _sucks ass_, but at least you're not alone." Michael softened, reaching out once again to put a hand on his brother's shoulder. Lucifer's gaze didn't move from his. "You don't have to be, at least. Not anymore, Luci. We're changing, too. And we're not ready either. So we need _each other_, more than ever."

Lucifer gazed back at him in silence. He was trembling again, though it didn't seem to be from panic this time, but from something else entirely. And Michael watched, eyes growing wide with alarm, as tears flickered to life in his brother's eyes, rising and bubbling up and threatening to spill. The archangel stiffened, torn between recoiling or pulling him into another hug - and he was just about ready to go ahead and do the latter when Lucifer finally reacted; the Devil moved, shifted, and suddenly leaned back on his feet to bring his hands up to his face, rubbing his thumbs across his eyes slowly and carefully and shaking his head with a huff. Michael paused, releasing his grip on Lucifer's shoulder with a frown. "See, that right there-" His younger brother's voice broke slightly as he spoke, but he continued on, "that's what I meant when I said you can make anyone want to be better, you bitch."

Michael, despite himself, managed to huff out a laugh at that. Mostly because, that was it; and he felt it as the last wall crumbled down, leaving nothing but open space between them. And, oh, he took the chance as soon as he could. "Yeah…" The archangel breathed, closing his eyes. "Doesn't the thought of it make it worth a try, though, brother…?"

"I guess," Lucifer responded, albeit somewhat hesitantly. "But still- it's… it's still happening, Micha. I can't stop it- you can't stop it…" He sighed through his teeth, looking down.

Michael hesitated slightly, watching his brother for a moment. "Well- I- you know, maybe that's not entirely true," he said lightly, mostly just trying to make him smile now. "You know, if we get Gabriel and Cas in on it, maybe we can intimidate the Empty or something. Kind of a 'you take Luci, you take all of us' deal, and then we can just sit there and annoy the hell out of it." His attempts worked, as Lucifer gasped, snorted, and then simply burst into laughter. Michael's lips twitched slightly, the rest of the tension draining from him as he watched his younger brother. The archangel simply fell silent, listening to the sound of his laughter - a genuine laugh, one he had missed a lot more than he had even known. He closed his eyes for a moment, even managing a small smile, but his worries soon turned in another direction. Still, he allowed his brother a few more moments of mirth before he brought it up. "Are you going to tell them?"

Lucifer's laughter faded; Michael blinked his eyes open to look up at him, met with an uncertain gaze before the Devil dropped it again, looking toward the ground with a faint grimace. "I guess I should now. You know, anyway. I just- jeez…" He huffed a little, rubbing the back of his neck. Michael fell silent, running his tongue over his lips, then spoke again carefully.

"I could tell them," he offered quietly, "if you want."

His brother's hesitance only lasted a good few seconds before the Devil suddenly relaxed, shoulders drooping, and his tired blue eyes flickered back and forth between Michael's for a few more seconds before he looked away with a sigh. "That'd be easier, wouldn't it?" He muttered, but, to Michael's surprise, he ended up shaking his head. "No- if they're going to know, they should hear it from me," he grunted. "I guess you're gonna tell Adam, though."

Michael nodded without hesitation. He didn't keep anything from Adam - didn't and wouldn't, and judging by his brother's resigned sigh, the younger archangel knew better than to ask him to. "Of course. When he wakes up- he's still sleeping." He paused a little, biting back a frown, and pushed his concerns away. Of course Adam was tired - Michael wasn't too sure how he _wasn't_, to be completely honest, but he wasn't about to complain about it. The demon would be awake soon, and Michael had to be patient- and get them out of Stull Cemetery before it happened. Because even if he wasn't going to hide any of this from Adam, he certainly didn't want the demon to have to wake up to this. Michael rolled his shoulders back and sighed.

"Alright, well, at least give me some warning before he punches me," Lucifer finally said, sounding more or less resigned to his fate, and Michael couldn't help but snort out a chuckle. Though he doubted Adam would _punch _Lucifer for this - though he was fully prepared to have to hold the demon back himself just in case - he knew Adam wasn't going to take the news lightly. But that was just something that Michael had to prepare himself for, and Lucifer already seemed to be doing just that. It was going to be hard - on everyone involved. But he knew the demon would want to know. He was already worried about Lucifer, despite not wanting to admit it.

"Of course," Michael murmured, lips twitching into a smile. "I'll try my best."

With that, Lucifer managed to crack a smile of his own, though it didn't seem like he was putting much effort into it. But, Michael couldn't help but be slightly relieved - at least he wasn't faking anymore, trying to hide it from him. The oldest archangel relaxed, letting the rest of the tension in his shoulders drain away, and Lucifer shifted back slightly as he did the same. He had gotten through - they had broken through, the walls crumbled, his brother's mask gone. Michael chose to focus on that for the moment, instead of the deal. That could be addressed properly when he filled Adam in - but for the moment, he needed to remain somewhat positive, for his sake, as well as for his brother's. "You wanna head back?" He asked after a moment, glancing around.

"Yeah." Lucifer sighed a little, and Michael spread his wings out, half-expecting Lucifer to do the same. But his brother stepped toward him, and seemed to hesitate, which gave the oldest archangel pause; he looked up at his brother, expressing his concern with no more than a blink and a worried frown, but Lucifer didn't quite meet his gaze yet. Instead, he swept his blue eyes around the cemetery and inhaled through his teeth before finally turning back to Michael - rather abruptly. Then, just as quickly, before Michael had the chance to question him, Lucifer pressed forward and reached out, grabbing him by the sleeve and tugging him forward into a hug.

It didn't last long - barely long enough for Michael to lift his arms to hug him back - before the Devil pulled away again. But not before he had the chance to mumble, just barely loud enough for the oldest archangel to hear, "thanks, Micha." - though he didn't give Michael proper time to respond to that, either, because the moment he had pulled away, he was gone, leaving behind nothing but a familiar _whoosh _of beating wings and a gentle, stirring breeze that settled only seconds later. Michael stayed still, holding his arms up for a few seconds longer, and blinked.

His expression settled rather quickly, shock rapidly deteriorating as he finally registered what had just happened. And the archangel couldn't help but smile a little, wrapping his arms around himself for a moment. It wasn't like it used to be - like a shield, curling in on himself to protect himself from everything else around him. This time it felt more like a hug, itself, and he allowed the warmth to buzz around in his chest for a good few seconds before managing to spread his wings out again, stretching them out as far as they could go - until they started aching - and letting out a soft, content sigh through his teeth. Another bridge mended; another wrong made right; another reconciliation, and this one somehow felt that much sweeter.

Michael took one last glance around and smiled before turning away once again, flapping his wings and following after his brother with a soft _whoosh_.


End file.
